Rise
by No Pain No Gain
Summary: Sequel to JLR. Five years later after Midna gives Zelda the Throne, Labyrennu decides to attack Hyrule. A war erupts. A tyrant takes place. One rising woman. Two captured men. Three rebels in the dark. Four words spoken: "We Rise or Fall." ZxL, SxT.
1. Prologue

**Author Notes:**

**Hey guys, remember me? I'm LoZ4Life, the author who has *apparently* entertained you guys a lot with my past stories, and who had suddenly stopped writing a couple months ago =) Remember I disappeared for about two months? Well, it wasn't for nothing. After bringing you the bread and butter, Full Moon (check it out, it's a short oneshot of mine ^^), it's time for the main dish:**

**_Rise, the long-awaited sequel to Just Like Royalty._**

**Yep, it's finally time =) So I hope you enjoy this prologue ^^ More info at the bottom =)**

**HOPE YOU LIKE IT! =)**

**WARNING!!! You might wanna read "_Just Like Royalty_", or you won't understand too much xD**

************************

I never thought it would come to this. I can't believe this is actually happening. I can't believe this is actually going on.

War.

I hate this, I can't believe it, it's like I'm living a nightmare. But it's true.

War.

My heart is torn apart, my tears are endless, my fears are all confirmed.

War.

But you know what the worst part is? Oh, just think of it, I know you'll get it right. Come on, why do you think I'm crying? Oh, sorry, my country's at war, I should naturally be crying.

Okay… I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with Link.

Yeah!

Ugh… Why am I happy about it..? I shouldn't. Exactly why I'm sitting here, crying. What? No, Link isn't next to me.

He's down in the war room, preparing for war.

He's going.

I can't believe this is happening…

My Link, my love, my heart, my soul, my life, my EVERYTHING, is going to go to war. I wouldn't have been worried if we were living in the medieval times, because he excelled at swordsmanship.

But we live in modern times, where swords take almost no place in the world, except the huge swords the Hylian army is trained in using. This era is the era of the scared humans. We are all pathetic cowards, hiding behind out long range weapons. We are all afraid of head to head, hiding behind our guns.

Which is exactly why I'm so scared. One shot, and goodbye Link. Thankfully, the Hylian army was also trained in big, heavy swords along with their guns. At least that would protect Link a bit…

Oh, Goddesses, we just GOT Kairi! The little girl can't grow up without a father! Roxas is already four years old, and Aryll is thirteen. I'm currently twenty-three, and so is Link. He can't go to war this young! The entire army is older than him! Who, with a sane mind, would actually APPLY into the army???

Right. Link. Oh, wait, HE'S GODDAMN OBLIGED! Well, he IS Hyrule's Prince and Army General. Why? I knew I shouldn't have forced him.

He's leaving everything behind. His four year old son, his one year old daughter, his thirteen year old sister and his twenty three year old wife to go die at the hands of some freak who dreams of ruling over Hyrule.

I tried calming down. Of course Link would fight. As if he'd just stand there and let some foreign freak come and take over his territory. I know he'd protect Hyrule until his last breath exits his body.

And that's exactly what I'm afraid of. He's just going to jump in there and get himself killed!

With those thoughts, I walked from the war room towards our room. Link was currently discussing the precarious situation they were in with the ministers.

Hmm. Funny, actually. I'm not complaining or anything, I'm actually glad, but Malon, Ralph, Ruto, Dark, Anju and Kafei are all gone to Termina. The first two couples for their honeymoon, and the third couple because they want their second child to be born in his parents' home country. Oh yeah, second, because their first kid was born two years ago. He has fiery fair like his mother, and his name's Axel.

So only Link, Tetra, Sheik and I remained from the gang we had created a couple of years ago. What am I talking about? It's been five years since we all met, and I became Queen of Hyrule.

I sighed in frustration as I opened the door to my room and walked inside, drying my tears. Link was a Prince, I was a Queen. All I had to do was command him not to go! Ha, problem solved!

Something told me it wouldn't be that easy.

Oh, how did this all start? A couple of years ago, Labyrennu declared war on Koholint. I don't know what happened, but I guess they had their ulterior move. Anyway, after a two years war, Labyrennu won, and Koholint became a province of the enlarged Labyrennu. A short time of peace reigned, then, Labyrennu suddenly started a campaign against Hyrule. No idea why, they just camped at the border one night, and the other, their King and Queen, Onox and Veran, came to meet us at the palace.

I remember their edged words very well.

"We need more territory for our growing population, especially now that Koholint has been added to our power." Veran had cackled evilly.

"And we will take Hyrule." Onox had added. "On the dawn of the day one month from now, we will direct our army into Hyrule Field. Be ready or not, it's your choice." He had then warned.

"We will take our leave now." Veran had disrespectfully turned around and walked away. I could barely hold Link back from ripping their faces off as they left because killing them right away would have angered the people of Labyrennu, who would have been overly hostile towards us, violent and disoriented without a leader.

I then came back to the present as I finished putting on my nightgown and headed for the crib where Kairi slept.

My little baby was sleeping peacefully, curled up on herself. Her short deep red hair was plastered around her face because of the shower she took, and behind her closed eyelids, I could still imagine those ocean blue eyes. Her tiny fragile body was rolled up, her chubby hands in fists next to her face, her knees drawn up to her chest as she mumbled in her sleep.

I sadly bent down and kissed her dark red hair. I have absolutely NO IDEA where that color came from, but I loved it nonetheless. Made a change from blonds in this family.

"Sleep tight, baby." I wished, touching her soft cheek as she mumbled sleepily.

With a sad smile, I headed away towards Roxas' room. My son was already old enough to sleep in a real bed, so we just got him a little bed with a net on the open side so that he couldn't fall if he rolled over.

I ruffled his blond hair as he muttered my name in his sleep. I smiled and kissed his cheek gently as he rolled around towards me unconsciously. I chuckled and blew him a kiss. "I love you, baby." I whispered, heading out.

Then, I headed towards Aryll's room. I knocked, wondering if she was asleep.

"Ugh… C'mon in…" came a sleepy voice.

Raising a brow, I opened the door and stepped inside, spotting Aryll writing something on her working desk. Aryll was now thirteen, and she'd grown up considerably.

Her pigtails had now extended into one ponytail that went down to the middle of her back. She refused to cut her hair. I remember when she had her illness. Her eyes were faded, but now they're all sparkling blue and giggling again. Her body was also becoming one of a woman, and she was growing up really quickly. Now, she had her square light blue glasses on to read, but she usually doesn't need them. Most of the time, I see her wearing a tank top and either a miniskirt or 3/4 pants. She's also much taller than before, and her childish voice has transformed into a more mature, yet still playful tone.

"Aryll…? What're you doing up so late?" I asked. "It's ten at night." I yawned myself.

"Homework. It's a pain." She muttered.

"Need help?" I asked.

"Nah, I'll be done in a jiffy. Just a question. If I say 12x and 6x, can I sum them together?" she asked, turning her blond head towards me.

"Yeah. They're similar terms." I answered with a smile.

Sigh… Aryll and her algebra lessons. She's actually catching on pretty quick, and is already at the level of someone her age that has been to school all their life.

"Well, don't be too long now." I told her.

"Alright mother." She muttered sarcastically.

I chuckled and headed for the door. "If you need me, you know where my room is. Link won't be here for a while now, and hopefully, you'll be asleep when he comes back." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course. Good night." She wished me emptily, stuck into her algebra.

I chuckled and closed the door. "Good night." I calmly wished as I walked towards my room.

---

Once next to my bed, I combed my hair, tied it loosely and tiredly fell on the mattress, groaning when I hit the comfortable surface. My thoughts always revolved around the war. Why were these atrocities allowed? Why couldn't the Goddesses prevent this?

My mind only drifted into a shallow sleep as my eyelids drooped. I fought against the nearing darkness with all my might, but then gave up to oblivion.

---

I don't know much time it had been, but I woke up when I felt something get on the mattress. With a serene smile, I turned around and watched as Link tiredly slipped into the sheets. The moonlight filtering through the trees hit his eyes, now twinkling sadly and wearily.

"You look tired, love." I whispered gently.

"Oh, sorry." His head whipped around. "Did I wake you?" he asked.

"No, I wasn't asleep in the first place. What time is it?" I asked.

"One in the morning." He carelessly replied, putting his back against the wall behind his pillow.

"Are you crazy? What were you doing till now?" I asked wearily.

"Discussing… discussing… trying to find ways to avoid this war… more discussing…" he chuckled.

"And…?" I asked, hopeful.

"Well, we tried finding Labyrennu some other ways to remedy to their problem, but they kept arguing that they needed more land, and that Hyrule was the closest to them." He sighed tiredly.

"It's okay, Link. I'm sure we'll figure out something to avoid this." I moved up and hugged him, giving him a brief kiss in between.

"I sure hope so. I don't want to take Hyrule into a pointless war. But Labyrennu is a huge force, and they don't seem to mind losing men. What, their population is four times bigger than Hyrule's?" he groaned.

"Three." I corrected. He moaned again. "I'm sorry." I apologized quickly.

"It's okay…" he sighed, gently sliding me down. "It's late now, we'll talk about this tomorrow." He muttered tiredly.

"Okay." I whispered, kissing him gently before taking my place next to him.

"Hey Zelda?" he asked as he pulled the covers up.

"Yes, dear?" I asked, turning around to meet his worried blue eyes.

"You… You do know… That if we get involved in this… I'm gonna… have to go… you know…?" he asked uneasily.

My heart started beating faster, but I kept my unshed tears back.

"Like you said, we'll talk about it tomorrow." I whispered icily, avoiding his question. Then, I turned away so that he could not see the icy drops of water rolling down my cheeks.

"Alright… I'm sorry if I bothered you." He sighed. "It's just so stressful, I can't believe this is happening." He groaned tiredly.

"Come on, love. Relax and sleep, like you said, we'll discuss it further tomorrow." I sighed.

"Today."

"Fine, smart ass. Later today." I chuckled, wiping my tears away.

"No matter what happens, you'll still know that I love you, right?" he breathed.

"Of course. Now get some rest, you look drained." I commented.

"Thanks." He leaned in and kissed my collarbone before turning to his side and closing his eyes. "Night." He called out weakly.

"Night." I wished back, yawning.

In the time of five minutes, he was already sleeping peacefully. I let my mind wander. Would he really leave everything he loves behind to go die on some battlefield? No, I'm thinking negative. Would he leave everything he loves behind to go fight on a battlefield? I sighed, knowing the answer.

Yes.

He'd protect Hyrule no matter what it costs.

His life?

He'd throw it away to protect Hyrule.

His wealth?

He'd throw it away to protect Hyrule.

His title?

He'd throw it away to protect Hyrule.

His freedom?

He'd throw it away to protect Hyrule.

Only one question rang out clear in my mind, and it terrified me. I didn't know what to respond, because I couldn't read his mind like he learned to read mine (Hello. Sheikah husband much?) I didn't know what he would do. And I prayed he was never met with the choice.

But the inevitable question was still ringing in my head restlessly, at the point where I had to say it out loud as not to go mad. I leaned into his pointed ear, and with a broken whisper, I stuttered into it.

"Would you throw ME away to save Hyrule…?"

**************************

**Author Notes:**

**Okay, so basically, the main theme is war. No, _there will NOT be bloody battlefield moments_. I've cut them all out =D**

**FANART! Cover: ****www(dot)crazy-about-loz(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Rise-Cover-116890676**

**Yes, there WILL BE themes. The themes will start next chapter, since the real story starts next chapter.**

**Till now, I've written till the ninth post, chapter 8, so now you know. A lot of stuff is gonna happen, you guys, so I hope you got a lot of space in your memory xD Oh yeah, and I'm gonna skip a lot of time as well xD**

**Now, UNLIKE Just Like Royalty (the prequel), this will not be chapter/day type of story. I haven't written the story enough to till now to do that sort of thing. It'll be more of a chapter/week or something like that. Whenever I feel like it. Erratic posts. I'll probably give you guys the expected date for the next post at the bottom of each chapter anyway. And guess what!?**

**Next post: Monday, July 06, 09**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEEEEWWWW!!! =D**

**Hope you liked it =)**

**PS: Things will get more intense later on. Keep in mind that this is JUST the beginning...**


	2. Goodbyes and Resolutions

**Author Notes:**

**PS: I'm gone out today, so... yea, early chapter, might not reply to reviews ASAP as usual xD**

**Takes place one month later, just because I feel like it. And also because I don't want to write a useless chapter about what happened in a month with preparations and all.**

**Lol, anyway, we're starting with the theme songs this chapter =) Nothing special here, though. The individuals will start next chapter. Anyway, hope you like it =D**

**----------**

_I'm a soldier, born to stand, In this waking Hell I am,_

_Witnessing more than they can compute._

_Pray myself we don't forget,_

_Lies, Betrayed and the oppressed,_

_Please give me the strenght to see the truth._

_People facing the fire together..._

_If we don't, we'll lose all we have found..._

_--------------------_

_--One month later--_

Ugh. I want to break someone's neck. I'm serious. Whoever's in my path better walk away right now.

First came the disappointment phase, then the sorrow phase, then the pleading phase, now the anger phase. I'm suspecting a depression phase to follow my anger phase.

Oh, sorry. I lost you, didn't I? Oh come on, it's not THAT hard to guess. Yep, Hyrule's officially involved in a war against Labyrennu and its provinces. And worst part is, Link and Sheik have to go.

I cried harder, pounding my fists on the walls harshly. Suddenly, a gentle hand held me back, and I felt someone nearing my ear. "Zelda… relax…" the male voice whispered.

I put down my bleeding knuckles and turned around to face him. "How can I relax when you're going somewhere with a fifty percent chance of coming back?" I whimpered as I scrutinized my husband's traits.

"It won't help if you break your knuckles. Come on, let's go get those treated." He pulled me by my wrist towards the infirmary.

"Link… Please, one more time, do you HAVE to go?" I asked, knowing full well the answer.

He turned to me with a sad expression. "What kind of Prince would I be if I hid behind my army while the people of my land fall to another's guns?" he asked for the millionth time, then moved his hands to cup my cheeks. "Please Zelda, trust me. I promise I won't leave this life without seeing you once again." He swore.

"Don't say that!" I felt tears running down my cheeks. "You're just making it worse in my mind now!" I screamed, suddenly jumping on him and sorrowfully clinging to his Royal Blue uniform, the dark blue one with golden embroidery, crying into it.

"It's gonna be alright…" he hushed me. Seeing as I was a head smaller than him, he put his cheek over my head, enlacing me with his strong arms.

"No it's not! How do you expect me to relax and calm down when you're going to get riding towards your doom in three hours?" I screamed, wetting his tunic even more with my tears.

"I'm a Sheikah, Zellie." He chuckled at the pet name he stopped calling me a long time ago. "I can just disappear into the shadows and flee if anything bad happens. I promise I'll do that." He swore.

"Hah. As if you'd keep that promise." I lifted my head and pointed accusingly at him. "You'd keep fighting until death for your country. It's a very noble thing to do, but think what you're leaving behind…" my tone became gentle again. "Link, I don't want Kairi to never have the chance to meet her father. I don't want to raise Roxas alone. Think what your death will do to Aryll. Think what it will do to ME." I demanded sorrowfully.

"But if we fail, not only you'll lose me, but you'll lose everything else you cared for. My life is a small price to pay to keep everyone I love safe." He whispered, kissing me gently.

"Please, Link. You think your life is worth nothing, but think what everyone else thinks of your life. Imagine what would happen if I went up to Sheik and Tetra and told them you stupidly died on the battlefield. Imagine what would happen if Anju, Malon and the rest in Termina would think if they found out they'd never see you again. Just think, then reconsider." I pleaded.

"Zelda, no matter what you say, I won't reconsider. My country is at stake, and I'm not going to stay behind, cowering behind my troops, while they fight for us." He gritted his teeth.

"Please Link! For one last time, hear my pleas!" I suddenly dropped to my knees in front of him. "Please, don't go!" I cried. I felt his arms wrap around me and pull me up, pressing me against his chest.

"You don't know how much I want to stay. You don't know how terrorized I am." He whispered into my hair.

"Then don't go…" I tried one more time.

"I couldn't. Like I said, I'm not a coward who will hide and pray that everything goes alright. I'm going to get out there and take care of things myself." He sighed one more time.

"I'll do anything to keep you here with me. Name it, I'll do it." I tried convincing him.

I guess his fuses finally snapped since his brows creased in annoyance and he let me go. Crossing his arms, he looked straight into my eyes.

"There's nothing you can do. My mind is set, and no matter what you find as an alibi, I'm not going to back down." He growled.

I stayed silent for a moment, eyeing his flaring eyes. He was determined to go… He'd put his own safety after Hyrule's safety. My husband was an incredible man, wild, free and independent. I couldn't restrain him. It would kill him inside.

"I… I'm just scared… For you…." I jumped into his arms and dug my face into his shirt. "And if I told you to promise me you'd come back alive, would you break that promise as well?" I asked desperately.

"Never. I don't break promises easily. At our marriage, I told you I'd follow you to the end of the world and am submitted to you. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it." He sighed.

"I can't do that to you. But promise. Promise that you won't do anything stupid." I sighed out desperately, hugging him tighter.

"I promise, my love." He breathed out in relief, throwing his arms around me. Pressing closer, I could feel his heart hammering wildly in his chest.

"You're terrified, Link. Don't do this." I tried one last time.

"I thought you promised to let me go." He groaned desperately.

"It's not an easy decision." I broke away from him.

"I'll be alright." He grabbed me back, making me look straight into his confident azure orbs. "I promise." He sealed the promise with a light kiss.

When he broke away, though, I could see the unshed tears in his eyes. Deciding to take the first step, I flew into his arms, sobbing. Unable to hold it anymore, I felt his tears prick the skin under my hair as he set his cheeks on top of my head, capturing the moment, the last one I'd have with him before he rode away to his semi-certain death.

---

My makeup artist had to set my eyeliner about five times until I was able to hold my tears back, keeping the black line from dripping under my eyes. Then, she had to apply my blush and nose powder at least a million times to cover up my flushed skin and puffy eyes.

"I know you're sad, Highness, but please, stand strong in front of your country." She kept repeating.

"Kay." I'd repeated that as well, only respecting it the very last time she had to put my makeup.

Then, I had went to my room to change into the most royal garb I could find. Then, I dressed Kairi up in a cute pink royal dress with white borders and a silk cover over all that, and made Roxas wear a deep blue tunic with golden embroidery like his fathers'.

Funny, if you looked well, Roxas looked like Link's little version. Those baby blue orbs that had a bit of Sheikah Red in them looked at me as I combed his hair. Another fact was that his hair wouldn't stay down to save his life. It always popped around, reminding me of Link's rebellious hair.

With those thoughts in mind, I waited for Aryll to get ready, then, taking Kairi in my arms and Roxas by the hand, I lead all three of them to the front of the castle, where the official departure 'scene' would take place.

The time is near.

---

A huge crowd was gathered in front of the castle main steps. Link, dressed in traditional attire and armor, stood on the ivory steps that lead to the castle, nostalgically looking at his people while his hair blew around his face. Our bodyguards had set a red velvet barrier that ran all around the dirt path that lead to the drawbridge. Journalists were pushing their way to the front, but normal people were also in the back, watching the commotion. My attention turned from the crowd, and back to Link.

In his left hand was located the Master Sword, an exact recreation of the legendary sword, a symbol of courage in the Royal Family.

In his right hand was located a Hylian Shield, an authentic one too, one of the only ones left in Hyrule. It symbolized Wisdom in the Royal Family.

And the metal-padded gauntlets and belt of daggers strapped to his thigh symbolized Power in the Royal Family.

Complete with the stern, blank, and slightly sorrowful look in his eyes, he looked like a true Prince.

"Hey." I breathed once I got next to him. I would have jumped on him, but this was official, and I didn't feel like being branded an international emo.

He turned and briefly smiled at me. Then, he turned to the lower Lieutenants who were waiting for him at the bottom. "Where are the troops?" he asked neutrally.

"They're waiting at the selected area in Hyrule Field." One of the Lieutenants answered over the noise made by the people.

Link nodded, then waved dismissively towards Hyrule Field. "You can start moving, I'll be right there." He motioned to the drawbridge.

"Yes Sir." All five Lieutenants hastily bowed, making their way towards the drawbridge.

Link stayed behind, then turning towards me again. "I'll miss you." He whispered.

"So will I." I weakly stuttered, trying to keep my tears inside myself.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll come in one piece." He lightly kissed me, then turning to Roxas, who was curiously watching us from my left. "Hey Roxas." He slightly smiled.

"Hi daddy!" Roxas smiled, apparently unaware of the gravity of the situation.

Link kneeled to be at his size and ruffled his hair playfully, as if it wasn't ruffled enough already. "Look, Roxas. Listen well." He then became serious. "Daddy will be gone for a long time. While daddy's gone, protect mommy, alright?" he demanded. I smiled slightly, knowing that Roxas was a Sheikah… But last time I checked, Link hadn't taught him anything yet.

"Why, daddy? Is someone going to hurt mommy?" he asked innocently.

"Maybe." He vaguely replied. "Just don't let anyone hurt mommy, nor Kairi, nor Aryll, alright?" he asked.

"Kay." Roxas smiled.

Link then bent over him and kissed his forehead affectionately. "Good luck Roxas. You have my blessings. I love you a lot." He whispered before he rose up to Kairi's height, who was now watching her father curiously from my arms. "Hey Kairi, baby." He called.

"Daddy." Kairi laughed innocently.

"Okay Kairi. I want you to always smile, alright baby?" he asked, caressing her red hair.

"Daddy." Kairi grinned, showing the few teeth that had just started growing at the front of her mouth.

"Good girl. I love you, always remember that." He kissed her forehead, then turned to Aryll. "Same here, sis. Take good care of my kids, alright?" he chuckled.

"Can do, big bro." She smiled, trying to hide her worry.

"Great." He kissed her forehead and Aryll took the side of her deep blue dress, and made a curtsy to him. Link chuckled, then turned to me. "As for you." He smiled. I blinked until my tears were swallowed up and smiled weakly. "Ugh, don't cry." He whispered, opening his arms.

I turned around and gave Kairi to Aryll, then turned back to Link, flying into his arms. "I can't cry anymore. But just promise me you'll come back safely, alright?" I whispered.

"For the last time. I promise, and I never break my promises." He whispered, gently kissing me.

"Good." I sniffed my tears away, giving up when he kissed me one last time and broke away.

"I love you." He called as he headed down the steps, where Sheik was now hugging Tetra and Naminé. Sheik was now appointed as his adjutant so that the two could become inseparable.

"I love you too." I cried out after him, my hand flying up to my mouth to muffle a whimper. He looked so calm now, so serene and controlled, but I took a moment to look beyond appearances and sensed that he had a fierce fire of determination burning from deep inside him. I realized he was terribly afraid, but what terrified him even more was the thought of losing his family to the war. He'd lost his parents, and now as a parent, he was scared for his kids and wife. I bit my lip harder, wondering to what lenghts he'd go to keep us safe.

"It's okay, Zelda." Aryll whispered from my side, breaking through my reverie. "I've known him my entire life. He keeps his promises no matter what." She comforted me.

"I hope so." I sighed out.

"Bye Zelda! Seeya later!" Link suddenly called out childishly with a grin, bowing deep with an arm crossed over his chest elegantly, contrasting with what he'd just said.

I raised my eyes to see him energetically waving at me while Sheik tugged on his shirt. Despite my sorrow and worry, my lips tugged up in a slight smile. It's amazing how he can keep his cool in these kinds of situations. "Come back safely, Link." I called out, oblivious to the many pictures taken by the crowd around us. I curtsied, holding my cream coloured dress up with one hand and bending my knees while inclining my crown-adorned head, getting some hair in my eyes in the process.

"I'll write, don't worry." He winked, giving up to Sheik as the two twenty-three year olds ran towards the drawbridge, towards the cars that would take them to their army camping spot.

"Goodbye, Gaiden." I half-smiled, trying to insert some humor into the humorless situation.

As I watched them run like two kids, my heart broke. They were just twenty-three. They were still kids at heart. Why did the Goddesses have to expose them to such atrocities as war so early in their lives…?

No matter what the crowd thought, though, I let tears roll down my cheeks. Unable to hold it any longer, I felt my head swim, and I fell to my sides, my eyelids drooping dangerously.

"Mommy?" I felt Roxas's little hands shaking me while Aryll called for Tetra.

"He'll come back, Roxas." I only had time to whisper before I passed out from exhaustion.

---

I woke up in my bed with Tetra sitting next to me, caressing my hair. When she realized I had woken, she smiled. "Hey Zellie." She called.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"Kairi has been dying to see you. Aryll took Naminé and Roxas to play in his room, so they're away now. But this little girl's been jumping around calling for you." She grinned, handing me Kairi, who was babbling as she played with an action figure.

"MOMMY!" she exclaimed as soon as I took her in my arms.

"Good afternoon, Kairi." I smiled, kissing her hair.

Her tone became more gentle as she babbled, biting the head of the Evil King figurine Link's had gotten for Roxas long ago. "Where daddy?" she suddenly asked, eyes wide in curiosity.

My heart broke. I couldn't tell her that there was a chance daddy would never return. She wouldn't understand it anyway.

"Daddy's not gonna be here for a while." I sighed out at the double meaning.

She seemed to be satisfied as she kept biting Ganondorf's head. I smiled as I caressed her hair. How was it possible that she was so peaceful and innocent while Link was out there fighting for his life?

Innocence of childhood, I guess.

Well, he did say he would write to me often and call me after every battle… It was such a depressing thought… Who knows, I'd probably have a heart attack if I didn't receive a call after a battle.

"What's on the schedule?" I weakly asked, trying to get my mind off of Link.

"You got the day off. What do you want to do?" Tetra answered.

My thoughts unwillingly went back to Link. Why couldn't I help him? Why was I stuck here, crying and whining, while he sacrificed his flesh and blood for his country?

I will help.

"Call my physical education teacher. Tell him to meet me in the gymnasium in half an hour." I answered, putting Kairi down on my sheets as I moved towards my closet.

"Why?" Tetra inquired curiously as she grabbed Kairi so she wouldn't roll off the mattress.

I didn't reply, instead quickly changing into a pair of loose sweat pants and a t-shirt. Then, I grabbed a bandana, tied it around my head and pulled up my blond hair in a high ponytail. Running shoes went quickly on my feet, and I pulled fingerless leather gloves up until my wrists.

"I won't be helpless anymore." I breathed, heading for my makeup drawer. Grabbing my eyeliner, I drew two war lines under both my eyes, and looked straight into Tetra's eyes. "I won't be weak anymore." I growled, stalking out the door under her surprised gaze.

A dangerous plan was brewing in my mind, but it's the least I could do to help Link.

---

"Your Highness?" I heard a male voice call to me from behind. I released the arrow I was cocking, looking at it hit the bull's-eye before I turned to my physical education teacher. Well, Sheik took that position, but he gave his place to this new guy when Link named him his adjutant, or whatever.

"Glad you came, Sir." I smiled, bowing slightly.

"You look… different… your Highness…" he noticed.

"Me? Yes, I decided not to be a helpless little wench anymore and move my butt to help." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, Highness. Our Prince is a very strong man. He'll come back." He comforted me.

"Thank you." My tone became gentler. Then, I turned to him. "Please, master, teach me how to use a sword." I demanded.

"A sword? Why so, your Highness?" he asked, surprised.

"I wish to pass my time sparring, if that's fine with you." I shrugged.

"Oh… Of course." He set his hat on the floor and grabbed a thin fencing sword.

I stopped him with a movement of my hand. "I'm sorry, master. Not fencing. Sword fighting." I calmly stated, putting my hand on a heavy wooden sword lying next to me.

---

A few hours later, I was swimming in my own sweat, panting as I hit the floor, exhausted.

"I must say, your Majesty." My teacher helped me up. "I am impressed. You have progressed much since the beginning of our lesson." He smiled.

"Thanks." I muttered emptily.

"It's late now, your Highness. Maybe you should head back to your chambers?" he asked, leading me towards the door.

"Of course." I panted.

"Shall I escort you?" he asked.

"Sure." I smiled as we both made our way towards my room.

Despite my exhaustion, though, I was happy. At this rate, my super stupid and dangerous goal could be achieved. If I got until there, everyone would seriously chew me out harshly.

But no matter what happened, I would be serene because I knew I'd be helping Link, even if it felt like I was a burden to him.

---

I was relaxing on my bed after my shower when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." I called out.

The door timidly opened, and my blond head stepped inside, tiptoeing until my bed.

"Hello Roxas. How come you're not asleep?" I asked as he jumped on my bed, on the side where Link would usually sleep.

"Mommy, I'm having bad dreams." He whimpered.

"Oh, come on, sweetie." I opened my arms, and he cuddled against my chest. "Tell me what you saw." I caressed his dirty blond hair.

"Well… I can't remember well… But there was you… daddy… Aryll… Kairi… and me… And two people I didn't know… And scary looking people around us… And you and daddy were screaming… and I was terribly scared when one of them took Kairi… And there was this thing in his hand… Daddy was bleeding and crying…" he shuddered, and I felt a few drops of water seeping through my light nightdress.

Oh... Poor thing was worrying about his father… I was too… Kids' imaginations these days…

"It's okay, honey. Daddy's okay and I'm here." I hushed him as much as I was worried too.

"When is daddy gonna come back?" he whimpered.

I smiled, drying his tears with my finger. "I don't know. But one thing's for sure…" I looked out towards the window, looking into the moonlight. "…He's gonna come back no matter what…" I whispered more to myself than to Roxas.

---

An hour later, Roxas was fast asleep in my arms. I caressed his hair, unable to find my place in sleep's arms.

There was another knock on the door, and I yawned. "Come in." I called.

Aryll walked inside, looking at me. "Hey, Zel, have you seen Ro-" she suddenly saw the blond head mumbling in my lap and smiled. "Never mind. He was in bed, and when I came to check on him, he wasn't there anymore." She smiled, heading for me. "Should I take him away?" she asked.

"No, he can stay." I smiled sadly.

"Hey Zel…" Aryll asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, Aryll?" I asked.

"…Is Link really gone to war…?" she asked in a disbelieving voice.

I sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, Aryll…" I frowned.

"Okay…" she bit her lip, swallowing her tears. "I'm… Tired… I'm just… gonna make a quick prayer and go to bed." She whispered, heading for the door.

"Prayer? Since when?" I asked, curious.

"Since now… To pray for Link's and Sheik's safe return." She muttered sadly before opening the door. "Night." She wished, stepping outside.

"Night Aryll." I sighed, leaning against my pillow. Setting down Roxas on Link's side of the bed, I covered him with some blankets and put my head down on my pillow. Then, I put my arm around Roxas so he wouldn't fall at night, and closed my eyes.

Link image clouded my thoughts and his voice echoed around my mind. It was painful, not having him next to me. It was like a gap that could never be filled.

It hurts…

"I miss you, love…" I whispered sadly before closing my eyes for the day.

---------------

_Save your tears, for the day,_

_When your pain is far behind,_

_On your feet, come with me,_

_We are soldiers, stand or die._

_Save your tears, take your place, _

_Save them for the judgement day._

_Fast and free, follow me, time to make the sacrifice..._

_We Rise or Fall..._

_~Main Theme (Rise-Origa)_

---------

**Author Notes:**

**... Quack?**

**Lol xD**

**Alrighty then... Do I have to say much about this chapter?**

**Oh yeah. Zelda's training. It's gonna be really important =) One of the plot points in a couple of chapters ^_^**

**Other than that... Well, Sheik is Link's adjutant... Link's tha General...**

**Srsly? Zelda passes out for everything O_O It's just an alibi for me to skip the time xDDD**

**Alrighty then... If you guys hadn't checked it out last chapter, cuz I posted the link a little late, I have fanart =D It's just the cover, though ^^ Check it out =) **

**www(dot)crazy-about-loz(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Rise-Cover-116890676**

**=D Hope it's okay =)**

**Next post: Thursday, July 9, 09**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PL0X REVIEEEWWW!~ =D**


	3. Transvestite

**Author Notes:**

**Chapter name = Epic win xD**

**Alrighty then =) Let's find out what Zelda been up to till now xD Just to tell you, most of the story will be made of stuff... style... what Zelda's gonna do right now. Stupid plans that always go wrong instead of bloody violent battlefield moments.**

**Anyway, I won't spoil too much for you. Enjoy the theme, it's my newest favourite song, and it'll forever be in my heart! =D NEW LP SONGS YES!! =3**

**Also, I'd like everyone to pay attention to the poem I created and inserted in the first section. It means a lot to me because it's based off true facts. Please enjoy =)**

**--------**

_I remember black skies, the lightning all around me,_

_I remembered each flash as time began to blur,_

_Like a startling sign, that fate had finally found me..._

_And your voice was all I heard... That I get what I deserve..._

**_*****************_**

As I lay back against my sheets, my mind drifted back to Zelda. I felt so bad for leaving her behind, but I had to. It was for my country. When I had married her, I had made that decision. I would endure anything just to save the life of a single person. Zelda needed to accept that.

Sighing, I rolled around, putting my head against my rough pillow. General or not, everyone had the same sleeping conditions. Especially after I ordered my and Sheik's tent to be just like the others' so that there would be confusion in case of attack. My side had a simple dark green sleeping bag, and Sheik's side had a dark blue sleeping bag. The tent was deep orange, seemingly brown in the darkness. It was also enough to fit in a small table to put important stuff on and a lamp hanging from the ceiling, but asides that, it was bare, and just fit both Sheik and me in it with a little space in front for extra comfort. The sleeping bags weren't very luxurious, and I'd seen better, but we had to stay as incognito as possible, so we got the same as everyone. Besides, even if I thought I'd slept in better, Sheik said he liked them.

Speaking of Sheik.

"You worry too much." His tired voice came from next to me.

"I know. I'm just… scared…" I sighed, rolling around to be met with Sheik's face as he slept in the sleeping bag next to mine. "You know… Maybe I won't be able to keep my promises to Zelda…" I bit my lip, thinking about what would happen if that did take place.

"Of course you will. I'll be there next to you to make sure you will." Sheik smirked back at me.

"Thanks…" I smiled lightly. "Let's call it a night. Today's our first day as soldiers. We'd better get some rest." I suggested.

"Look where you're going. From a servant, to Prince, to General, to a soldier. Will you ever decide?" Sheik smirked.

"Thanks. I think I'll stick to just being Zelda's husband." I chuckled.

"Can do…" Sheik smiled and turned around.

I smiled back. Such awesome friends I had. They all cared. Right now, I could only see and talk to Sheik, but every second of the day, I felt their reassuring presences floating around me. Not all of them were here right now, but I couldn't help but feel gratitude for everything they'd done for me. I sighed, and love for them erupted in my chest. I closed my eyes and enjoyed this feeling. The words rolled off my tongue on their own.

_"Friendship is precious, friends are priceless._

_True friendship doesn't need to be put to the test._

_Friends'll be there when you're lonely, they'll be there when you're sad._

_They'll be there when you're angry, they'll be there when you're mad._

_They'll be there when you're joyous, they'll be there when you're happy._

_They'll be there from the beginning until the end of eternity."_

I finished with a slightly sad note and sighed, smiling nostalgically.

"Where'd that come from?"

I turned to look at my best friend, who was looking back at me, surprised.

"Deep from inside my heart. I just felt like I needed to express my love and gratitude for everything you guys have done for me these past five years." I sighed and laid back, looking at the deep orange ceiling.

"Very poetic, Prince Link."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"I hate being addressed as a superior to others. Reminds me of my days as a servant, except I had to call nobles by their titles. So don't call me by my title, I hate it."

"Alright, My Lord."

"I hate you."

"I love you too."

I chuckled and turned around, smiling, peaceful.

_Friendship doesn't come and go like a season's trend._

_True friends stay by your side until the very end._

---

"Link. Link! Wake up, lazy ass!"

I woke up roughly, shaken awake by Sheik, who was looking over me.

"I'm gonna snap your neck if you tell me that you woke me up cause we're being attacked." I groaned, getting up.

"Nah, your breakfast was getting cold." Sheik smirked back.

"Thank you so very much." I sighed amusedly, pushing myself up in a sitting position. "Got anything for today?" I asked, grabbing the steaming plate of food next to me.

"Not really." Sheik raised a brow as he sat down next to me. "The scouting teams haven't returned yet. We haven't even reached them. Which means either the Labyrennians haven't arrived yet at the border, or they have arrived and have killed all our scouts before they could report back to us." He smirked.

"I'm praying for the first option." I lifted my hand sarcastically as I gulped down some bread rolls.

"Same here." Sheik sighed, drifting off into his bubble. I decided not to bother him and kept eating my food.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

I woke up early in the morning, don't ask why. It must have been around five in the morning. Roxas was still sleeping, comfortably nested in my arms. I smiled serenely, and, taking extra care as not to wake him, I stood up and strode towards his room.

Once there, I put him down in his bed. He mumbled my name a few times, followed by Link's, then turned around and kept sleeping.

Chuckling, I headed back to my room, to my closet, more exactly. There, I quickly picked out a t-shirt, tight sweat pants, thin running shoes and a bandana again. I'm gonna keep this up no matter what.

I quickly wore my clothes and tied my hair up in a high ponytail. Then, I tied my bandana over my head. After lacing my shoes, I made sure everyone was still sleeping and silently exited the room, heading towards the gym.

---

Jab, punch, kick, dodge, kick, punch, counter-attack, jab, punch, kick… I didn't even stop as my hands stung, blood oozing freely from my knuckles.

"Zelda?"

I immediately stopped and turned around, meeting the bearer of the voice. Tetra was standing in the doorway, looking weirdly at me.

"What are you doing? This early in the morning, to top it off!" she yawned.

"Doing… something…" I rolled my eyes, trying to stop my running breath.

"No, not nothing. Why were you torturing that poor punching bag?" she grinned smugly, pointing behind me at the red punching bag I'd been training on.

"Oh, I just wanted some morning exercise." I rolled my eyes.

"At six in the morning? Riiiight." Tetra sarcastically smirked, heading for me.

I smiled nervously, hiding my hands behind my back. It was bad enough that she had intercepted my morning training…

"Watcha hiding?" she asked.

"Nothing, just standing." I rolled my eyes.

"What are you hiding?" she asked again, turning around and pulling my hands out from behind my back. I cringed as her eyes looked over my bleeding knuckles and fingers, her brows furrowing, her lips curled down in a frown. "Zelda…" she sighed and looked back up at me with pleading eyes. Biting my lip, I retreated my hands.

"Sorry…"

"No, it's okay, I understand, but please, why are you hurting yourself? It's not going to help Link in any way if you just go and break your knuckles." She sighed, holding my hands together.

"It'll help more than you think." I whispered below my breath to myself.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." I shrugged it off uncomfortably. My top secret plan would have to stay confidential until it was over. I couldn't risk anyone finding out.

"Come on, missy. Queen or not, we're getting those fixed. If you just wanted some exercise, why didn't you just use boxing gloves?" she asked. "It avoids damage and fills the same purpose." She shrugged.

"I guess I forgot…?" I tried.

"No luck. You're hiding something, and I know it." Tetra frowned at me, knowing that whatever I was hiding was dangerous.

I lowered my gaze to the ground, ashamed. "Sorry." I apologized again. Tetra groaned, and without another word, we proceeded to the infirmary.

---

Even with bandaged knuckles, though, I snuck away from Tetra again, moving out to the outside yard this time. That was where we had the archery range, the horseback tracks, and much more. That's why I headed towards a bow on the ground, picked it up, and headed for a target. Pulling out the single arrow hit in the bull's-eye, I turned around and was met with a huge pole, wooden and circular.

Taking my aim towards the top, I released my arrow. The shaft stuck itself firmly in the wood at the very top with a dull thud. Smirking in content, I put down the bow, and grabbed a couple of daggers from the side of the mast.

Taking a deep breath, I planted one of the daggers as high as I could reach into the wood, and wrapped one of my legs around the mast. Then, with three deep breaths, I took a jump and planted the second dagger higher, also wrapping my second leg around the mast.

Grunting as I strained my muscles, I pushed on the highest dagger while removing the lower one and planting it higher. Then, moving my legs up as well, I repeated the process incessantly.

My plan could not succeed until I reached the top. Even if it took me days, weeks even, I would succeed.

I can succeed.

I will succeed.

**TTTTT…..TTTTT**

A couple days passed. I spent my days away from everyone, lost in my training. I now excelled at sword fighting, and I could wield those huge metal swords with no problem at all. Link had taught me well, all those summers when he trained me to spar with him when Sheik wasn't around. Along with some archery and some horseback riding for endurance tests, I was super happy when I finally reached the top of the mast, after a thousand failed tries.

That's when one night, I decided to put my plan into action. I got up and headed for my desk, grabbing a paper and a pencil. In the dim moonlight, I wrote a letter destined to Tetra:

"_Dear Tetra,_

_I'm gone, as you can see. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Just went to run an errand. Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Take care of my kids while I'm gone._

_Sincerely, Zelda." _

And I finished it with my signature. Then, I folded the letter and put it on my bed, then went back to my desk's drawers. I took out a flashlight and secretly walked out and through the hallways, heading down to the weapon storage area, right next to the soldiers' barracks.

Thankfully, with everyone gone to war, there weren't many people guarding the area. I easily snuck inside the weapon storage room and closed the door silently.

This place was a treasure chamber. Grinning evilly, I walked around, trying to find weapons that could suit me. In the end, I settled for a long sword, about ten inches wide, sturdy yet light. I put that in its sheath and swung the latter over my back. Then, I picked up a couple of gun holsters and strapped them around my waist.

And once done, I moved to the door, the one that took me to the armoury.

This place was YET ANOTHER treasure chamber. Grinning fully now, I picked out a regular soldiers' outfit.

It was basically a navy blue long-sleeved sweater, with two of plates of metal on the shoulders and knees, accompanied by knee-length basic brown boots at the feet. Brown leather straps held the belts together and went around the waist. Under that was a pair of navy blue pants, baggy, but comfortable for running. Black gloves were destined to go on the hands.

There was a green bandana that went around the neck, and the headset was a simple helmet that went down to the nose, covering the eyes, though the soldier could see from a protective smoked glass on the eyes.

So I quickly slipped into the uniform, padding the area around my chest to make it look like I had no curves, then grabbed a sturdy hair elastic and tied my hair up in a high bun before setting the helmet on. After making sure my hair was tied up tightly and wouldn't fall, I grabbed my gun holsters and circled them around my waist, making sure they were secure before doing the same with my sword's sheath on my back. After finishing my preparations, I took a folded paper out of my pocket, and a pencil as well. Time for my second message.

"_To General Link,_

_This young man had been hospitalized for a while now. Thankfully, he's back now, and fully capable of fighting. Please take good care of him while he's under your wing._

_Sincerely,_

_Her Royal majesty,_

_Queen Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule."_

Grinning as I signed my letter, I put it in my pocket and exited the room carefully, making sure no one was looking. That's when, I (relatively) quietly headed for the stables, trying to make my shoulder guards and knee caps stop making noises as I walked.

Thankfully, the hallways were deserted this early in the morning. With a quick thanks to the Goddesses, I walked into the quiet stables and headed for my horse's stall.

"Oh wait…" I sighed suddenly. "If I take Naraku, it'll seem too suspicious…" I noted. Then, I turned towards my sleeping horse. "Sorry boy, you'll have to stay behind on this one." I chuckled before heading for another random stall.

In the end, I chose a black stallion that was nervously pacing in its stall. Grinning from ear to ear, I carefully walked inside the stall and gently petted the horse that immediately relaxed under my touch.

"Come on, boy. We've got a mission to accomplish." I whispered in the stallion's ear as I grabbed a saddle and quickly saddled up the ebony horse. Once done, I lead it outside. And outside, I mounted it, making myself comfortable before urging it into a silent trot.

Avoiding the front gate, I made the stallion take a fork on the main path and travel along the waterway. Once gotten to a low part of the fence surrounding the castle, I sped the horse up. With a successful cry and a soft neigh, me and my stallion thundered off towards Link's army camp.

---

I got there a couple of hours later, exhausted, but happy. As soon as I got close, though, I heard a few startled cries and the clinking of armour. I guessed they couldn't see who I was and were gonna send off the alarm.

"I'M HYLIAN!" I screamed off into the night with the manliest voice I could muster.

The clinking stopped immediately, followed by whispering. Finally, I heard footsteps coming for me. I stopped my horse and dismounted.

"I come in peace from Hyrule Castle." I announced.

The man, who was apparently a guard, motioned at my helmet. "Take it off." He ordered coldly.

I gulped down, but complied, carefully taking off my helmet while making sure my hair was still up in a semi-invisible bun. In the darkness of the night though, the soldier didn't see my hair and instead, only felt the tip of my pointy ears, and nodded, satisfied. Shuddering, I put my helmet back on and cleared my throat.

"I must see the General." I ordered in a rough voice.

"The General cannot see you, but his adjutant has been sent for." The man growled.

"Alright." I answered uneasily, hiding my nervousness behind my invisible eyes. Sheik was a trained Sheikah. Would he be able to break through my lies? I hoped not, momentarily deliberately forgetting my identity as Zelda to become a man.

It was right on time as I saw Sheik following a second guard. Not a minute later, I felt an icy sensation waving over me. I realized Sheik was reading my mind. Keeping my mind on my fake identity and random thoughts, I advanced and bowed before him like I'd seen many soldiers do before.

"Rise." Sheik calmly ordered. I rose without a second word. "Soldier, what is it?" he asked.

"I come from Hyrule Castle, ready to serve my country." I repeated my practiced speech in front of him. "I have a letter of confirmation from Her Majesty herself." I also mentioned, taking off the folded paper from my pocket. "I apologize, my trip had been rough." I noted for the quality of the paper.

Sheik raised a brow and grabbed the paper, turning towards the campfire to read it. After a while, he handed it back to me with a nod. "Alright, the signature seems to be genuine." He simply said. I smirked under my scarf. Why wouldn't it? I'd done it, after all… "So welcome to army camp." He chuckled darkly. "Since we have no place for you in any other tents, you'll sleep with the General and I tonight. I'll send for an extra tent tomorrow." He informed me.

"Thank you, Sir." I kneeled again in respect, then got back up. Without another word, I followed him to Link's tent, my heart pounding a thousand miles an hour.

---

Link was angelic as he slept without his shirt. His toned chest looked sun-tanned in the darkness, the loop piercing on his belly button being the only thing visible in the darkness. Oh, how I longed again to sleep by his side and hug him as he slept… How I wished to dream again, with that enjoyable feeling that washed over me like a soothing rain whenever I was close to him…

"I'll wake up the General, just a moment." Sheik broke through my thoughts. I snapped out of my reverie and blushed, thankfully unseen under my helmet. "You can take off your helmet, you know." He chuckled.

I gulped down. "I know, Sir. It's just that I've recently been wounded, and my face has been deformed. I'd rather keep it covered until it heals." I made up.

He didn't look too convinced, but didn't say anything. Instead, he kneeled next to Link and slapped him awake. My heart jumped at the sound of skin against skin, especially when it was Link's on the bottom. Why would Sheik do such a thing?

"To wake him up." Sheik simply shrugged. That's when I realized he'd broken through my thoughts. I'd been careless. My secret could have been revealed.

Thankfully, it didn't as Link woke up, diverting our attention, grumbling and rubbing his cheek.

"You could've just poked me…" he yawned.

"You would NEVER have woken up if I had." Sheik chuckled back.

"Fine, fine. What's goin' on?" he groaned, pushing up and rubbing his head. I blushed under my headset as I greedily scoured my eyes over his abs. No shame, as long as I hid my thoughts from Sheik.

"We got a new soldier. So move you ass, cause Zelda's letter is destined to you, not me." Sheik smirked.

As soon as he said my name, Link bolted upright and looked around.

"Zelda!" he gasped, then shook his head. "Sorry." He flashed a charming smile my way. "Your letter please." He ordered.

"Here you go, Sir." I complied, handing him my own letter and standing back as he sleepily scoured through it.

"Zelda…" he finally breathed as he finished, folding the letter and pressing it against his forehead. "I miss you…" I heard him breathe in a voice just above a whisper.

My heart shattered. I wanted to throw my helmet off and jump on him right now, ease his loneliness, kiss him until his smile returned upon his face…

I couldn't. I barely held myself from lifting my hands to my helmet, biting my lip to keep myself from doing anything rash. Of course, always making sure my thoughts were concealed.

"I'm sorry." Link finally apologized, smiling slightly. "I didn't quite catch your name, soldier. If you're gonna crash in with us, then I guess I'd better know your name." He smirked.

I suddenly stopped breathing. I had forgotten to think about a cover up name… Fairy tales, video games, books, movies, they all rushed in my head as I desperately looked for a name.

It hit me straight in the head. I grinned.

"Cloud." I bowed, still grinning under my helmet. "Major Cloud Strife, at your service, Sir."

_***************_

_So give me reason, to prove me wrong! _

_To wash this memory clean!_

_Let the floods cross, the distance in your eyes!_

_Give me reason to fill this hole,_

_Connect the space between,_

_Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies..._

_Across this New Divide..._

_~Link's Theme (New Divide- Linkin Park)_

**--------------**

**Author Notes:**

**Whoever's seen Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen will recognize the theme ;) LINKIN PARK FOR EVER AND EVER AND EVER! Let's go off topic for a second: Watch Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, or lose your social life. Do it. NOW! OHMYGAWWWWD "NEW DIVIDE" = THEME SONG OF MY LIFE!!! =3 Linkin Park theme songs of my life YES! =D**

**Okay, back on topic =) Hey everyone, whoever's read my profile to check infos on Rise will recognize this chapter =D Yes, this is the Mulan reference I mentionned =) Girl climbing a pole and going to war as a guy =) Now, let's see if you can find the other references inserted here ;P**

**-Final Fantasy referenceS (3 of them)**

**-Just Like Royalty reference (once)**

**-Inuyasha reference (once =D)**

**-Nightwish song reference (this one's tricky. Here, I'll tell ya: it's in the 8th section, and it's a reference to the song _Nemo_)**

**Okay then, have fun finding these references =) And review to tell me if you found them =) Cookie for whoever can find 3/4 categories and less, and a cameo for whoever can find 4/4 =D As in EVERY SINGLE ONE of the references ^_^**

**Oh, and just a question. Have you guys ever felt misunderstood before? Like, have you ever said "Why do I always get stuck with the people who don't get me?" before? I just wanted to know, make sure I wasn't alone in the world xD Please tell me, you guys, I'm feeling awfully lonely right now =( Except for my real friends. Thanks for sticking by my side all the time, Wavebreeze, MoonlightZelda, Boatsandhoes, Link's Bro 117 and Vampire Countess =) You guys are basically what keep me sane in the world of fanfiction. The poem was dedicated to you. I hope you guys liked it. The words just poured out like that. They tell the truth.**

**Until then...**

**Next posting date: Tuesday, June 14, 09**

**Disclaimer: Do not own anything. Just the plot and the poem in the first section.**

**PL0X REVIEW! I LOVE REVIEWS! =D AND I LOVE LINKIN PARK TOO! xD**


	4. Warrior Goddess

**Author Notes:**

**What's this? *gasp* An early update? O_O Well, yea, I was thinking over and over again last night on how much I loved this chapter, and how awesome it was (to my eyes =3) so I woke up and was like "Screw the posting dates, I'm posting this right now =3"**

**The chapter name came form Transformers 2. When that little Decepticon bug sneaks into Mikaela's garage thing at the beginning to steal the All Spark thing, and Mikaela grabs him and tortures him with a blow torch (xDDD) he's like "WHOA WHOA, HOLD UP WARRIOR GODDESS!" or something like that, so... Yep. xD**

**One of my favourite chapters, and also one that typed itself really quickly xD What, you didn't actually think that Zelda would land in the midst of peace, did you? No way, she's gotta show off her skillz =D I won't say more, I'll just let you enjoy this chapter =)**

_**----------**_

_When this began, I had nothing to say, I had nothing to say,_

_And I'd get lost in the nothingness inside of me,_

_I was confused,_

_And I let it all out to find that I'm not the only person with these things in mind,_

_Inside of me,_

_But all that they can see the words revealed,_

_Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel,_

_Nothing to loose, just stuck, hollow and alone,_

_And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own!_

*********************

I was woken up with a sound that made my heart leap in my chest.

Gunfire…

Gasping, I pushed myself up, looking around. Sheik was already awake, shaking Link.

"MASTER SHEIK!" I called, panicked. I'm a woman. Dressed as a guy. In a war zone. What else could I do than panic?

"MOVE OUT! GRAB YOUR WEAPONS AND RUN OUTSIDE, JOIN THE TROOPS, THE GENERAL AND I WILL BE THERE SOON!" he ordered.

Nodding, I grunted and exited the tent.

Outside was hell. Everyone was running around, shouting, grunting, screaming, firing. I froze for a moment, wondering if this was such a good idea until someone ran into me and I was tackled to the ground, waking from my frozen horror. Shaking my head, I picked myself up and grabbed a nearby shotgun. Then, I grabbed my sheath and huge heavy sword and buckled it around me. And, bracing myself, I got up and carefully headed for the front lines.

Time to see what I can do…

---

I wasn't half bad, actually. Even though I got a heart attack every time I shot, I'd managed to keep myself alive for more than an hour. Which is really good, considering that I'm a woman with no experience in shotguns. I'd rather use pistols, they're much more comfortable to use. But in this case, I can't.

"THE ENEMY IS CLOSING IN! GET READY FOR RETREAT, COVER-FIRE AND CLOSE COMBAT!" one of the Lieutenants suddenly shouted above the noise.

I froze in anticipation. Alright, Zelda, time to see if all your hard training paid off.

"RETREAT TO THE BACK LINES, KEEP FIRING! ENGAGE IN CLOSE COMBAT AT WILL, BUT DON'T LINGER!" Link's voice resonated above the other noises.

Nodding, I gasped and put my shotgun away, grabbing a pistol out of the holster around my left thigh instead and retreating back. My right hand went to the undecorated hilt of the simple sword behind me, ready to draw it at any moment.

It didn't take long, though, before an enemy soldier broke through the lines and charged for me. Unable to shoot because he was already pointing a gun at me, I instead drew my large metal sword and blocked an incoming bullet. The metal bullet clanged off of my sword as it fell to the ground, smoking. Not a second later, the same sword stole that man's life away as it cut easily through his chest.

I stepped back for a second, not only because of the momentum I'd swung my sword with. I paled under my helmet as I watched the blood flow on the ground, making a puddle beneath my feet. I was disgusted. I'd taken someone's life without even considering my actions… How could I be so inconsiderate…?

I only gasped and stepped back when a flash of silver caught my eyes. Not a second later, a clang was heard. I paled, realizing someone had just saved my life from an incoming bullet. I turned around to meet that someone.

It was Link. Frowning as me, he removed his sword and shot down the attacker before sighing.

"I'm sorry Cloud, but I don't have time for this. Concentrate, you'll see many more of those as you go. Hopefully, you won't be one of them by the end of the day." He motioned with his head to the corpse in front of me, not without shooting down someone else first.

I nervously nodded and gulped down nervously, gripping my gun and sword tighter. "Got it…" I shakily replied.

"Good." Link smiled at me. I took that moment to analyse the emotions swirling in his eyes. I could see him trying to comfort me and look brave, but deep inside, as I peered into his icy depths, I could see tainted innocence, fear and pain, regret that threatened to overwhelm him any time. Though he threw it aside to keep his feelings from interfering in battle.

He uneasily shifted and looked away as I snapped out and shot down another incoming enemy.

"It's alright, Sir." I bit my lip to keep me from taking my helmet off and hugging him, kissing him, crying my eyes out in the midst of battle. So instead, I put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright. I'm sure your wife is worrying sick at home, desperately waiting for you to come back… Don't disappoint her Highness, Sir. I know I have no right to say this, but stay strong, Sir. It's a hard episode, but you'll prevail." I took my hand off and smiled. "I know you will." I finished before turning away from his astonished face and running off to help one of my allies in danger.

---

Thankfully, the battle was not a major one. In the end, a couple of hours afterwards, the enemy retreated back into their camp, leaving the alliance to celebrate. I finished swinging down two enemies who had taken me on as I executed a daring twist with my sword, then wiped the blood on a towel I carried for that purpose and headed back to Link. I needed to make sure he was alright.

So I ran. Senselessly, without paying attention to my environment, I ran, tears of joy streaming down my shielded face as I spotted him, giving orders, unharmed asides a few scratches and cuts.

I couldn't stop my momentum, though. My arms extended in front of me on their own and I got ready to jump and hug him. I noticed his awkward glare as he saw me coming, and I realized my cover was blown. The burst of energy in my veins was too strong, and I couldn't stop myself right now.

But all I could do was detect a slight disturbance in the air. My ear twitched as I turned around, spotting a half-dead enemy soldier, pointing a smoking gun's barrel at Link. Only when he fell dead and the whistling got stronger, I realized the gravity of the situation.

Link. MY Link, was targeted by that very last bullet. Unaware of the situation, too concentrated on my behaviour to notice, he just stared at me as his impending death came closer and closer.

So I changed my course. Instead of hugging him, I took one last jump filled with adrenaline and brought my arms closer, pushing him out of harm's way just as the bullet hit its target. I screamed in pain, in a girly scream might I add, as I felt the metal penetrating my right arm and hit the ground. I only felt my helmet leaving my head as I crashed before I blacked out.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

I gasped as I was pushed down the small mount of rubble I stood on, and hit the ground, rolling. Groaning, I pushed up, wondering what the excited and horrified murmurs around me were all about.

"What's the meaning of this, Major Cloud…?" I asked, rubbing my head as I turned back, scanning his fallen figure with a horrified gasp.

Hmm… Have I ever mentioned that Cloud looks a lot like Zelda?

I snapped out of my horrified daze as I rushed to his side. Or should I say…

Her.

Just by looking at her, I could guess she'd escaped with a soldier's uniform from the castle to come help me here. She'd left the safety of the castle. She'd left our kids just to come risk her life here. An unknown anger welled up within me as I gritted my teeth, ripping my shirt and tying it excessively tight around her injured arm. Once done, I turned around and whispered to someone to call Sheik.

Then, still angry about the situation, I turned back to my unconscious wife on the ground, fuming.

"ZELDA, YOU ASSHOLE!"

My scream resonated all over the encampment.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

I woke up to a harsh pain assailing my head. Groaning, I lifted my hand to my forehead, rubbing it to ease the pain. When my eyelids fluttered open, I pushed up, almost screaming in pain as I pushed on my injured right arm, which I noticed was now bandaged. So I leaned against my bed frame and looked around. No one seemed to be here yet… Where was I anyway?

My question was answered when Sheik walked inside a tent flap, and I realized I was in the medical tent. "You're in the medical area or the army's camp." He simply growled, eyes narrowing on me.

I sighed, knowing the reason.

"Hey Sheik? I'm so-"

"SORRY DOESN'T MAKE UP FOR YOUR MISTAKE!" he suddenly yelled, dropping the platter of medicines he was carrying. "ZELDA, THAT WAS SO INCONSIDERATE! YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! EVEN WORSE, CAPTURED! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Sheik yelled.

"I… I…" No words came to my mouth as I bit my lip, ashamed. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sheik bend down and pick up his dropped stuff before exiting, not without throwing me a glare first.

"Link will chew you out, just you wait." I only heard the wind carry his whisper as he exited.

The tent seemed cold for a moment. I shivered, wrapping the blankets around me. And I considered Sheik's words. Was Link really THAT mad at me…? I saved his life…

Realization dawned on me. He didn't care. He could've died for all he cared, but he just wanted to keep me safe. Safe at home, in the castle, with Tetra and the kids.

I bit my lip harder, finally realizing the anguish I'd put him through when he'd learned of my real identity.

My thoughts about him were cut short as I heard someone hurriedly throwing the tent flap open. Not a moment later, my chin was nested once again over someone's shoulder, their arms gripping me tightly, snaking around my torso and arms.

"Zelda…" came a broken whisper.

I didn't reply, eyes facing the ground, too ashamed to talk.

The words finally came. The typical, cliché ones. "I'm…. I'm sorry, Link… I just don't know what took me…" I finally apologized with a discouraged sigh.

His breath suddenly stopped heaving, and all movement ceased. Every movement except the shaking in his limbs. I let out a silent sigh, knowing the lecture that would follow.

Actually, I only received a desperate kiss, a pair of cracked, but sentimental lips flowing over mine. I replied softly to him, taking advantage of this moment to fill the empty hole I'd felt for so long. And I braced myself as I felt him pull away.

"ZELDA, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WORRIED ME!?"

"Link, I…"

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER! WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE IF YOU WERE SHOT!?"

"Did I get…?"

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!? IT'S WAY TOO DANGEROUS OUT HERE!"

"I can…"

"I DON'T CARE! YOU WERE HARMED, AND YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! KIDNAPPED, EVEN, IF THEY KNEW OF YOUR IDENTITY!"

""I could've just…"

"LISTEN TO ME, ZELDA! LISTEN TO ME!" his anger subsided as I looked , seeing two desperate pools of blue boring into my eyes. "Listen to me…" I dropped my gaze, ashamed. "Lift those eyes." He ordered in a voice just above a breath.

I complied, lifting my eyes until I could see the tears running down the sides of his face. I flinched. After becoming Prince, it was very rare to find Link crying. His eyes were also red, bloodshot from the weariness. I realized he had skipped on his sleep since I'd been discovered. But his tears were what affected me the most.

"I made you cry." It wasn't a question, more like a statement. "I made you worry, I made you sad. It's my fault." I recited in a monotone voice.

"Don't you say that." He hiccupped, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs.

"It's the truth." I simply replied, still monotonous, though it was getting harder to bear his anguished gaze.

"I. Said. Don't. SAY THAT!" he screamed the last part out, and I suddenly wound up in his arms again, feeling icy water seep through my short sleeves.

"Link, I… I'm so sorry…" I finally gave up, lifting my arms to circle him as I buried my face in his shoulder.

"Are you crazy…?" he breathed, sniffling. "I was so scared, you don't know how much I was panicking. When I saw you fall. And your helmet fell off… And I realized who you were… And what had happened." He gently patted the bandages on my arm, and I shivered in slight pain. "I could've prevented it. If only I'd asked to see your face the other night… Or I'd realized sooner that it was you…" he sighed.

"No, no, don't say that. I decided to stay anonymous, it was my choice." I convinced him, smiling through my tears.

He pulled away to wipe those icy drops off my cheeks and smiled. "I'm just glad you're alright now…" he breathed.

"I'd never die without seeing you first." I promised in a low voice.

"You're not gonna die anyway… So you can forget that." He smiled comfortingly at me.

"Good." I simply replied as he pulled me closer. I slid down a bit, laying my ears on his chest and he hugged me tighter.

I heard it. Asides the loud rumble in his stomach, proving he'd skipped over food as well for the past few days, there was the erratic beating of his frantic heart. It cracked mine into pieces when I realized that I'd scared him a lot. He'd been worried forever, fretting over me since the moment he'd discovered my identity. I sighed in desperation and looked up at him.

"I scared you, didn't I?" I asked, eyes downcast.

"Terrified me. Scared me to death." He replied in a mutter.

"I'm so sorry…"

"It's alright." He finally smiled serenely, plucking a kiss on my lips before grinning. "Hell was full anyway, so they sent me back." He chuckled.

The pain, anguish, sorrow and my burden were instantly lifted with his smile as I sniffled and laughed along. Before I knew it, I'd jumped on him, and, still laughing, we toppled over, with Link under me. My arms snaked around him, and so did his, and in a short matter of time, we'd fallen asleep on each other, tired from the events that had unfolded just now.

---

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO GO BACK!?"

"Exactly what you heard." Came the calm reply from my husband as he sat on the grass, writing a note to Tetra.

"BUT BUT BUT!"

"No buts, missy, you're going back to the castle, and that's final." He insisted, finishing the letter with his signature.

"PLEASE, LINK! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE CASTLE!" I screamed at him.

"You will go, and that's an order, Major Cloud." He smirked under his breath as he folded the letter and put it in an envelope.

"Well I don't take orders from you, your _Majesty_!" I crossed my arms stubbornly, lacing his title with disgust.

It seemed to affect him a lot. Eyes glinting sorrowfully, he turned to me, looking as if he was about to cry. My arms suddenly crashed to my side, and I kneeled next to him, unable to hold his gaze for too long. I quickly hugged him and sighed.

"I'm sorry, that just came out on its own…" I apologized quickly.

"I'm… I'm sure…" he replied in a broken whisper.

"I said I was sorry…" I whispered, kissing his earlobe as I went down to his lips.

Our moment was suddenly broken when a soldier hastily ran to our side and bowed. Letting go of each other, we got up and dusted ourselves off.

"Yes, what is it, soldier?" I asked, disappointed from breaking my moment with Link.

"The ride for Her Majesty is ready. Master Sheik says that they will depart whenever you feel ready. If I may, Sir, I'd suggest soon. Our scouts have reported new activity from the enemy's part." The soldier informed us.

"Then let us go." Link grabbed my hand. "Quickly." He added before he dashed off, me following him.

Before I knew it, we'd made it to the back of camp, the side facing the castle. I spotted Sheik atop a brown horse, smiling at me. Link ushered me to the horse I came with and quickly made me mount. Before I could object, I was already on the horse.

"Wait! Link!"

"Give this to Tetra when you get back, alright?" he cut me off, hanging me the envelope.

"I will, but…"

"And tell the kids I love them." He winked.

"And what about…"

"Aryll? Yeah, give her a hug on my behalf. Too." He chuckled.

"No, WHAT ABOUT ME!?" I screamed.

"I kept you for last." He grinned, and set a foot in my left spur, holding the saddle's horn with one hand, and pushing himself up with the other. Soon, he captured my lips in a sweet hold, and I let go of everything I was holding except the letter and hugged him, replying to his passionate kiss.

And as abruptly as it came, it ended. He jumped back down on the ground and patted the horse's flanks, urging it into a trot.

"I LOVE YOU, ZELDA!" he screamed behind me.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, LINK! COME BACK SAFELY, FOR FARORE'S SAKE!" I screamed back, waving at him.

"I'll try!" came the chuckled reply.

I sighed and waved back to him. He did the same, and smiled. I smiled back, taking advantage of these last few moments before Sheik leaned over and slapped my horse's flanks, making it run faster. Soon, Link's smiling face was nothing but a dot in the distance.

Why did I have the eeriest feeling that this would be the last time in a long while that I'd see him smile like that…?

---

The return home was painful. We had to stop every hour because my butt hurt on the saddle. Why didn't we use a car? Simple. One, it would have attracted too much attention: on horses, we just looked like regular people on their daily horse ride. Two, all the cars were made army style, which would have redirected attention to us once again. And three, for the simple reason that we needed to get my horse back to the castle.

And that is why I sighed in relief when we finally made it to the castle steps. Darkness threatened to overwhelm me, fuelled by my weariness, thirst and hunger, but I stood strong until one of the front guards noticed us and came running to us.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" the surprised and panicked pitch in his voice was obvious.

"Yes, that is my title, soldier…" I chuckled.

"YOUR HIGHNESS! EVERYONE'S BEEN TOPPLING OVER AND UNDER THE CASTLE, LOOKING FOR YOU! WHERE WERE YOU!?" the panicked soldier bit his lip.

"It's alright, I'm here now." I smiled reassuringly.

"I will go inform Lady Tetra…" the guard stuttered before running off.

"Hey Sheik." I grinned, turning to him. Even if he was still neutral, I could see the faint glint of excitement in his eyes, the one that was sparking with Tetra's arrival.

"What is it, Your Highness?" He hissed that last part. I guessed he was still pissed at me for sneaking in like that and him not being able to figure it out.

"Tetra's coming, and I'll give you guys some time alone. Want me to take your horse to the stables?" I offered.

"No, I'm quite alright." He neutrally said as he jumped down from his saddle. I looked up to see Tetra running towards us at full speed. Grinning, I also swung down from my saddle and waved with a sweet smile.

"SHEIK! ZELDA!" she screamed.

Her pace accelerated and as soon as she was within range, she flung herself at Sheik and hugged him, desperately kissing him as she squeezed him harder.

"Thank Nayru, you're alright, Dear Din, you had me so worried. Sweet Farore, when we received the news of a battle up here, I started panicking so badly, and I--"

She was cut short, though, when Sheik applied his finger to her lips and hushed her.

"Isn't the important thing that I'm here now?" he smiled lightly, and claimed her lips again. I left them alone. This is exactly what I felt when I saw Link back at army camp, so why shouldn't they have this moment as well?

The moment was broken, though, when Tetra unlaced herself from Sheik and turned to me. I could see the curiosity and slight anger flickering in her eyes as she narrowed them in my direction.

"And just WHERE were you, little Miss?" she raised a brow questioningly, applying her hands to her hips.

"Out… Gone…" I replied vaguely, not wanting to mention my escapade even more. But Sheik seemed to read my mind (I'm pretty sure he did, anyway) and cleared his throat.

"Long story short, she snuck out of the castle, stole a bunch of things and a horse, rode into army camp, applied there, masquerading as a male soldier, participated in the battle, and caused us a lot of trouble." He quickly explained, back to his neutral self.

"You forgot to mention that I saved Link's life." I grinned proudly, crossing my arms.

"At the cost of your ARM." He gritted his teeth, apparently not liking the idea of me being hurt.

"My arm is NOTHING compared to Link's life. I'd CUT IT OFF to save his life, if that's what you want." I hissed back. Tetra interrupted by grabbing my injured right arm and peeling off the sleeves, revealing the blood-dotted bandages rolled around the upper part of it.

She gasped. "Oh my dear Farore… Zelda, that's… That's…" she sighed, apparently not finding a harsh enough word to describe it.

"Inconsiderate? Dangerous? Impulsive? Stupid? " I tried, recalling all the words that had been said to me after I'd been discovered.

She chuckled. "All that, and even more." She giggled, and put my sleeve back down, patting my arm slightly before turning back to Sheik. "Thanks for bringing her back…" she whispered.

"Hey, I can come back on my own." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"Problem is, if no one had told you to, you'd never have left." Sheik noted, raising a brow at me.

"True…" I chuckled, followed by a yawn.

Tetra immediately noticed, and in less than a second, she was by my side, grabbing my arm. "We've got to get you to bed, Missy." She sternly frowned.

"Why am I treated like a baby around here!?" I sighed, annoyed.

"Because you're the Queen, and as the current possessor of the Throne, we all have to make sure you're alright." She shrugged, then turned to Sheik. "You coming, love?" she smiled sweetly.

"I can't. I have to return to the army camp as soon as possible." He replied in a neutral tone.

"One night won't hurt." Tetra pouted. "At least until we get a chopper ready!" she pleaded.

"I have to go, and now. Besides, I'm Sheikah, remember?" he smirked. "I can travel quicker than any chopper." He noted.

"Kid's got a point." I cut in with a smirk.

Sheik threw me a half-amused half-annoyed glare, then turned to Tetra. "Tet, I love you." He advanced and plucked one last kiss on her lips before stepping back and looking at me. "And keep an eye on Queenie, please." He smirked. Then, his gaze fixated my eyes as I felt them peering deep into my soul. "As for you…" he finally smiled sympathetically for the first time since he discovered my identity. "Don't repeat that stupid mistake ever again, Queenie." He advised.

And with those last words, he disappeared into a nearby shadow. We both watched as a shapeless shadow travelled from one shade to another, soon disappearing in the darkness of the night.

"Come on, sweetheart." Tetra finally sighed, pulling me back inside the castle. I followed, uninterested. "Time for this lady to get to bed."

_****************************_

_I wanna heal, I wanna feel, _

_What I thought was never real,_

_I wanna let go of the pain I've held so long,_

_I wanna heal, I wanna feel, _

_Like I'm close to something real,_

_I wanna find something I wanted all along,_

_Somewhere I belong..._

_~Zelda's Theme (Somewhere I Belong- Linkin Park)_

**------------**

**Author Notes:**

**So I gave Zelda a manly theme. Sue me. Besides, it's not like she's the only girl with a Linkin Park theme song *looks around and grins proudly***

**Yea, Zelda's really inconsiderate and rash... LIKE ME! =D Thank Farore she knows how to defend herself and attack at the same time =D Yes, Zelda's courage WILL BE IMPORTANT! Very VERY important. Great use in the plot. And yes, her skillz in guns and stuff too =)**

**Okay, this is probably the only battlefield moment you're gonna see in this fic. Sorry to violence lovers (xD) and yay for me, cuz I hate gun-violence =D Sword-violence doesn't bother me xD**

**Speaking of swords... To those who have seen or played Final Fantasy... 7, or Crisis Core, for example, the swords that they're using are Final Fantasy swords. Those huge, thin, yet large, mega swords xD Zelda's sword was designed following the Buster Sword's design =3**

**Umm... Yea, that's all I wanted to say. Hope you liked this chapter =) One of my favs ^_^**

**Next posting date: Friday, July 17, 09**

**PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ *gets on her knees and bows* PLEEEEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Damsel in Distress?

**Author Notes:**

**The chapter title is supposed to be sarcastic xD**

**Well, most of the time, you know that you get an idea for a scene, and it's not possible to make it a oneshot, so you start making a backstory, and all thanks to that scene, you get a new story? Well, this chapter contains the scene that started this story =) So I hope you like it =)**

**Oh, and for the people who noticed Roxas's nightmare on Chapter 1, the answer to whether it's a dream, premonition or symbolism is here =) **

**HAVE FUN! HOPE YOU LIKE IT! =D**

**-------------**

_So many bright lights that cast a shadow, _

_But can I speak?_

_Is it hard understanding,_

_I'm incomplete?_

_A life that's so demanding,_

_I get so weak,_

_A love so demanding, _

_I can't speak..._

**_****************_**

The next weeks seemed to last forever. Time even seemed to stop when the news of an ongoing battle drifted to the castle. Every time, I kneeled in front of a statue of the Goddesses and prayed until the battle was over. It went on for a couple days? I slept and ate in front of the statue. It went on for a week? I still spent my time in front of the statue.

And what kept me sane during these troubled times were his letters, of course.

After every single battle, Link would have someone sent here with the outcome, as well as private mail for me. I'd just distractedly listen to the messenger, usually concentrating on the envelope he held in his hand. And when he did give it to me, I'd rip it open and drink right out of his comforting words.

So basically, if he sent me a letter, it would be because he was safe and sound. It was my only way of knowing.

Which is why I almost got a heart attack when the news of a huge army clash was reported. That's when I made myself a room full of statues of the Goddesses and moved there, praying the entire day long. Praying for Link's and Sheik's safe return. I would do anything to have them by my side right now.

I spent my time like that for a week. At the end of the week, the messenger finally arrived.

There was a knock at my door.

"Come in…" I called, trembling slightly.

The door squeaked open and Tetra walked in. She bowed to one of the many statues of the Goddesses, then turned to me.

"Zelda, the messenger is here. He wants an audience with you to talk about the outline of the battle." She bit her lip at that.

"I just want the letter." I snapped in a dry tone.

Tetra reeled back a bit. "But Zelda, don't you…?"

"No, I don't wanna know what happened, I just want Link's letter." I cut off sharply.

"But what if…?"

"I JUST WANT MY DAMN LETTER!" I roared, impatient and worried.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and it felt like even the Goddesses stopped to see what would happen next.

"That's the problem…" she finally sighed. "There is no letter."

---

Link. Link, dear Goddesses, what was going on? Was he dead? Wounded? Or… even worse…

"No…" I gasped, drying the tears running down my face. "No. He's alright, he just forgot…" I tried convincing myself. It didn't work. I knew something was wrong.

"Come on, Zel…" Tetra sighed as she sat down next to me. "It's been over three hours you haven't stopped crying. Why won't you believe me when I tell you that he's too busy with affairs to write? I'm sure he'll write soon enough." She smiled, combing through my hair with her fingers.

"He wouldn't forget!" I suddenly screamed. "HE PROMISED!" every word was laced with fear and anger. Then, I broke down into tears again.

"Zelda…" Tetra's sigh broke through my sobs as she circled her arms around me, on of her hands soothingly rubbing my back in circular motions. "It'll be okay, Zelda, Link's a strong guy, and you know that he'd never leave you behind. He's coming back, I'm positive. Besides, what would Link say if he say you crying like this?" she smiled.

"He'd… He'd…" I breathed in deep to stop crying and looked at her. "He'd probably say that it was useless to cry since he was alive and safe?" I tried.

Tetra's smile widened into a grin. "Exactly. Now stop worrying. Even YOU admitted you know he's alright. So why shed those useless tears?" she asked rhetorically.

I calmed down and sniffled, wiping my tears. Then, I slowly nodded, slowly convincing myself that he was alright, just forgot or was too busy to write.

A few silent moments passed before I looked up at Tetra. My eyes were bloodshot and red, welled up and faded, but on my lips was plastered a sincere smile.

"Thanks. I think you're right."

"We BOTH know I'm right."

Even though the words seemed comforting, I didn't wish to worry Tetra any longer about the ominous aura hovering over the castle, so I nodded and smiled…

…Something's coming…

---

I didn't hear of Link for two days. I was starting to get worried, wondering what he was doing, when I received the news as a full blast.

Literally.

I was sitting and writing a letter to the Ordona province's head leader when there was a soaring sound in the sky. My heart skipped a beat; I didn't need to have experienced war beforehand to know what was going on. Movies were usually enough.

My first instinct was to run for Kairi's room. That's where Aryll was supposedly keeping Roxas during playtime.

And the bomb hit as I ran.

The blow was harsh, and the sound was even more terrifying. It sounded like a million fireworks just exploded right next to my ear. The heat was also very disturbing, and I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming when I felt the skin on my left arm being scorched. Thankfully, I was wearing a long, flowing skirt, so it was easy to drop to the ground and cover my head with my hands.

That's when the building crumbled. I felt rocks falling all around me, and I desperately tried keeping cool. Taking deep breaths, I took my hands off my head for a moment and looked up. A few blocks were coming off the walls, but most bits were small. Anyway, I jumped up and took off towards a nearby desk and dove under it, thankful that Link had taught me how to hide in case of trouble. I closed my eyes and whimpered, trying to calm myself down.

The aftermath didn't last too long. As soon as it came, it was finished. I finally opened my eyes and sighed, seeing that the front of the hole I was hiding in was blocked with many bits and pieces of the walls.

Grunting in effort, I started kicking the pieces out to make room for me to get out.

At the same time, I heard my door being torn down and a few people rushing in.

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

Damn, here they come again. Making another effort, I pushed off the rock that was holding the little wall up, making it crumble in front of me. As calmly as ever, I stepped out and dusted myself, ignoring the pain that my left arm was causing.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"

"I'm alright." I sighed, and lifted a hand, but before I could even say anything, a bunch of people had already rushed over me. A few were looking at the bruises on my face and whispering, others were crammed up to look at my burnt left arm. Everyone bore a horrified expression, though. One of the maids even fainted.

Raising a brow, I sighed. Then, I looked up and nudged my head towards Darmani. My bodyguard, who was now hanging his head, ashamed at failing at his job, perked up and came striding towards me.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as soon as he got close. "I failed you, Your Majesty, I-"

"It's okay, Darmani, please. You never knew, no one could have expected that. I'm fine." I assured him before his line of apologies and self-degradation could unfold.

"Still…" he sighed, then looked back up at me. "What can I do for you, your Majesty?" he inquired.

"What's going on? I KNOW that there's a back plan to this. Labyrennu wouldn't have attacked idly. Something has happened." I narrowed my eyes murderously.

Darmani gulped down, then sighed, giving up.

"Castle Town has been raided."

---

I ran around, panting for breath as I panicked all over the castle, my attendants, maids and ministers right behind me. I was still supporting my left arm, as I'd hastily wrapped layers of bandages around my burnt arm and left the infirmary without getting the wound treated right. It didn't matter.

"RAIDED!? RAIDED!!??!" I had yelled at Darmani when the shock of the news had passed over.

"Yes, your Highness. It pains me to say so, but somehow, just yesterday at midnight, the Labyrennian army penetrated Castle Town and started pillaging every house they saw, keeping the men, women and children in a corner. The soldiers at the castle were dispatched to help until the reinforcements arrived from the main army in Hyrule Field… But the reinforcements never came. It all happened so fast, no one can find an explanation. For now, the Labyrennian army has settled inside Castle Town, and are under tight watch from our soldiers while we wait for the army reinforcements to arrive. Because at this rate, we'll fall before the army arrives." He'd explained.

And now, we were running in the castle hallways, towards my children's chambers. I'd received a call that Kairi was unharmed, but Aryll was lightly traumatized by the impact and Roxas was yelling nonsense about "a terrible event".

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER!?" I screamed yet again, frustrated.

Darmani hesitated for a second, then sighed. "We didn't wanna trouble you with the news, your Majesty. We thought we could push it back without causing too much trouble… But our plans backfired…" He lowered his head again.

"I NEEDED to know. This is MY country while Link is gone, and I need to know what's going on." I countered viciously. Darmani hung his head again as I picked up the pace, spotting the rooms' door at the end of the hallway.

And a minute later, I burst into the room, panting.

"ROXAS, KAIRI, ARYLL!"

My little boy, who was being held by a maid as he kicked and screamed, calmed down and looked at me with teary eyes.

"MOMMY, RUN AWAY, SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS GONNA HAPPEN!" he screamed, and started struggling again. I threw a look at Aryll, who was shaking in a corner while a few nurses checked over her, then looked at Kairi, who was sleeping in a nurse's arms, unaware of the danger she'd just been put through, and then jumped to Roxas' side.

"Come here, love." I whispered, kneeling as the nurse set Roxas down. He immediately jumped in my open arms and started sobbing in my shoulder.

"I can see it…" he whimpered. "All of you are in danger…" he looked up at me pleadingly. "Please run, I don't want anyone to be hurt…" he sniffled, then started crying again. "And daddy…"

My ears perked up at that. I lifted Roxas' teary face and made him look me straight in the eye.

"What about daddy…?" I whispered, deathly cold and serious.

Roxas sniffled for a moment, then sighed. "Daddy… I can see him… He's telling me to run away, to take you and run away… Go to safety, that's what he says…" he frowned.

I raised a brow, but nodded. Roxas inherited his father's Sheikan genes. I'm sure he could have the least bit of telepathic connection with him…

"What else did he say…?" I whispered, afraid.

Roxas lifted his gaze again and scrutinized my serious face for a while. Everybody stood silent. Not a breath could be heard. I could heard some distant shouting and booming sounds, but I cut it off. Roxas' following words were the most important.

So he finally opened his mouth, after a long time of hesitation, and announced in a voice barely above a whisper. "He also said… _I'm not safe… I cannot protect you anymore… Watch out, here they come."_

My eyes widened in horror, but I didn't even have time to dwell on it as the door burst open. I immediately stood up and faced the newcomers with a murderous glare. The outfits said it all.

"Labyrennians." I spat, glaring daggers at the two Labyrennian soldiers who were holding a gun at Minister Saria's head, making sure she wasn't trying to escape. The young twenty-five year old Minister of Environment was whimpering and shaking, scared out of her wits.

"Your Majesty." One of them sarcastically bowed. Everyone in the room capable of fighting suddenly took a fighting stance. Darunia dropped into a pouncing position. Darmani removed his pistols and pointed them both at the guards.

"Now, now, put those weapons down… You wouldn't want us to pull the trigger, do you?" the second guard smirked, locking the gun with a pounding_ click_. Saria screamed slightly and kept whimpering, closing her eyes. I could see old tears and new tears wetting her cheeks.

Knowing there was no other choice, I growled and moved my hands towards Darmani. He raised a brow, but slowly and hesitantly put his guns down.

"Release her." I coldly commanded.

"We shall not until you hear our message." The first guard cocked his head slightly.

"Then deliver whatever despicable message you have to deliver and get out." I ordered with the same tone as before.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." The second Labyrennian smirked. "We have direct orders from our leaders, Lord Onox and Lady Veran, to escort you to your Throne Room, where they are waiting with someone you hold dear to you." He announced.

My heart started pounding faster at that, Roxas' warning reverberating madly in my head. I couldn't whip up the conclusion, though, as the first one spoke up again.

"You are to come alone. If you do not play tricks on us, we will promise to bring you back unharmed." He swore.

"Why should I trust Labyrennian scums like you?" I spat, my glare intensifying.

"It's not like you have a choice." The second one nudged Saria's head with his gun again. She finally opened her teary eyes and looked pleadingly at me.

My heart shattered. Was I to stay defiant and risk the lives of thousands of people who believed in me? But would I fall so easily? Could I do anything? Not in this situation, I couldn't… Could I find another way out of this conflict?

And with that unanswered question, I sighed and slumped my shoulders.

"I shall go."

Screams and cries of protest arose from the entire room as everyone shuffled and got closer to me. I waved them off with my hand. Then, when the anxious silence had returned, I turned back to them and smiled.

"For the sake of my country, and all its people's lives. I shall go." I then turned back to the guards, my glare becoming cold again. "And you, use the little honour you have left and keep your bargain." I slowly advanced for them as they both smirked. The first one grabbed my hand as the second one nudged Saria forward. She advanced stiffly, without hesitating, too scared to think.

At the last moment of the exchange, the gun was put down, and both soldiers roughly gripped one of my wrists. The second one gave Saria a push, and she fearfully stumbled into Darunia's arms as he glared daggers at the soldiers.

"Remember." The first one warned as they proceeded to dragging me out. I stayed calm, though I was panicking on the inside. "One false move, and we'll kill your dear Queen, understood?"

No one replied to that.

I took the chance to smile comfortingly at them. "Nurses, get Minister Saria to her room. Then, make sure the kids are all alright. As for me…" I smiled as they closed the door. I whispered a sentence in Hylian, a language Labyrennians could not understand. Only the blowing wind made my next whisper reach their ears.

"_I shall not fall that easily."_

---

I was escorted to the Throne Room and left there. Once I made sure no one was looking, though, I lifted my skirt's left side and unsheathed a short sword from a belt I had around my thigh. Then, putting my skirt back down, I looked around for anyone.

That's when the second bomb was launched. Though this one wasn't as bad as before. It landed a few dozen feet from me, and the explosion was but a small one. I covered my face and kneeled to avoid much more damage.

In the end, it simply made the walls crumble, and a lot of smoke to cloud my vision. I took my arms off of my face to see. Through the smoke and the slight flames, I spotted three figures advancing. My grip tightened on my sword. Symbolic, of course, but I know how to swing it pretty well, actually. Anyway, I brought my attention back to the three figures, eyes narrowing.

Inside, though, I was panicking. My Link, my beloved, in the hands of these… these… MONSTERS??? Could it be? Tears pricked my eyes, but I needed to stay composed. I can't show any signs of weakness to my enemies.

"Queen Zelda…"

My eyes narrowed even more at the voice, and I glared straight at the bearer, who was smirking, now within my view. The second person, literally holding the third on a leash, was standing behind him, smirking.

"King Onox…" I hissed viciously.

"Now now, Milady." He sneered at my title. "You wouldn't want to hurt your beloved even more, would you?" he asked, snapping his fingers. The second person, who was oh-so conveniently Queen Veran, pulled on the chain connected to a certain blond haired man's neck. The latter grunted in pain, unwillingly following her until they were at Onox's side. She then pushed him on his knees, making sure he stayed that way.

"Link…" I gasped, loosing my steel composure for a moment, also dropping my sword, then reluctantly toughening again. My only defence fell to the ground and clattered. But my hearing was locked by the mass of salty water accumulating on the border of my eyes. I blinked a few times and swallowed down those tears. I would not show weakness in front of these tyrants.

Instead, my eyes scoured sorrowfully over his broken figure. All the slashes, blood, whip marks and bruises over his bare chest and back were sickening. The ripped shorts going up to his knees were his only garments, testament of the white pants that had stood there as part of his uniform, before it was shredded.

His dirty blond hair was streaked with red now, flailing around wildly, looking like he had just woken up. The skin around his chained neck, wrists and ankles was cut severely and bleeding. His bleeding mouth was constantly turned down in a frown, gritting his teeth, apparently. I could see many of his ribs pushing against his skin, too many for my comfort. In one word, he looked like he'd been to hell, and back.

"Link…" I whispered out, horrified.

He blinked, gritting his teeth even more. My heart lurched. He must have been in so much pain… I would do anything to steal it all away. He lifted his crystal blue eyes and looked at me for a moment as if begging for a single hug, if nothing else could be given to him. My composure crumbled once again and I gasped, my voice rattled by pain. Pain I felt for him. I screwed my eyes shut, not wanting to bear any more of that gaze. Just a bit more, and I'd start crying in front of my nemesis.

"What, no kids with you?" Onox suddenly remarked.

"You will not touch my children." I growled menacingly, opening my eyes and glaring at him hatefully.

"What a shame. Besides, it's not like you have a choice, they're already here." Veran snickered.

Before I could ask, a terrified voice rang in the air from behind me. "MOMMY!"

I immediately whipped around, my heart stopping in its tracks. "ROXAS!" I screamed, terrified.

My little boy jumped from Aryll's side, who was worriedly carrying Kairi as she slept, unaware that she was in grave danger. Running, he safely made it into my open arms.

"Mommy, who are those scary men? Why are they hurting daddy?" he asked desperately, looking up at me with eyes blurred by tears.

"I don't know, Roxas. They're just mean. Don't look." I whispered, finally giving up and letting a few tears roll down my cheeks. He quickly obeyed, digging his face in the folds of my ivory coloured dress. Aryll soon made it to my side as well, looking up at me with eyes that seemed to say 'What the hell is going on here?'

"Just stay by my side, I won't let anything happen to any of you." I whispered back. She obeyed despite her older age, and stood next to me, holding Kairi close.

I then turned to Onox and Veran, on the way, noticing Link's horrified glare when he noticed the kids behind me. "WHO TOLD YOU YOU COULD TOUCH THEM!?" I roared angrily.

"No one. Since we are now the official occupants of the castle, we can do what we want." Veran shrugged.

"We will NEVER surrender to the likes of you." I growled.

"You don't have a choice." Onox grinned, pulling out a hand gun and pointing it at the back of Link's neck.

I stiffened, guessing what they were attempting to do. "Don't." I warned them in a dangerously low tone.

"Why not?" Veran asked sarcastically.

"Only cowards would resort to that method. Just don't." I growled.

"That doesn't justify why we shouldn't." Onox loaded, taking a shot in the air. My heart leaped when I heard the bullet shoot out. It scared me to know that instead of being aimed in the air, it could have been aimed at Link.

With the booming sound, Kairi woke up, crying. I could understand her. I could also cry my heart right now, but I just don't wanna show any more weaknesses than I already had.

"Ugh… Make her stop." Veran ordered, putting her hands over her ears.

"If you can't stop her incessant crying, we will." Onox threatened.

"No…" I breathed, horrified. "No…" I quickly turned to Aryll, who was desperately trying to hush Kairi. "Kairi, my love, it's okay, it's okay baby, stop crying." I pleaded. To no avail. The terrified child kept crying.

"Ugh, stop that incessant whining!" Veran growled.

"Here, we'll help." Onox snapped his fingers, a guard from all around us advancing. Before any of us knew what was happening, the guard snatched Kairi from Aryll's arms, holding her in his own, a gun pointed right at her little head.

"NO!" I screamed

"Jee, it's fun seeing you suffer." Onox laughed. "I wonder what'll happen when we kill everyone you love in front of your eyes." He grinned sarcastically. "Oh well. For now, let's take care of the little girl, shall we?" he turned back to me. I was too busy crying to notice.

"PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T DO IT!" I begged, finally falling to my knees in front of them, tears dripping down the corners of my eyes. Anything. Anything to protect my children.

"Too late." Veran smirked as the gun locked and loaded.

"NO!" Link's scratched voice melted into mine as we both watched the trigger being pulled back.

There was the gunshot. And Kairi stopped crying.

Terrorized, I lifted my eyes from my hands to look, Link imitating me from behind.

"Kairi…" I breathed in awe.

My little girl was still there, now asleep again, a smoking bullet at the guard's feet.

"Oh my dear Goddesses…" I breathed, terrorized and grateful to the world at the same time. Behind me, I noticed Link, looking up at our daughter, mouth gaping.

"What the?" Onox looked startled. "Fire again!" he ordered. Another gunshot was fired, and I whimpered, wondering if this was really the end.

Guess not. Kairi was still alive and sleeping, another smoking bullet lingering at the guard's feet. When the third gunshot was ordered, I looked to see what was happening.

The bullet simply reflected off some kind of a shield. It just bounced off the invisible barrier and fell to the ground, harmless.

That's when I looked around, confused. Noticing Link's confused gaze, I realized it wasn't him who had protected Kairi. So unless we had an ally in the shadows… It was…

I turned to Roxas, who was looking up at me with cerulean eyes... Was that… red, swirling in those pools of blue…? Sheikah Red…

"Roxas…" I breathed his name, astonished. Link realized where my gaze was going and his mouth fell open in shock.

"_Roxas saved Kairi's life…"_ I gasped out. I made a conclusion, and judging by Link's expression, he had made the same.

Link had told Roxas to protect me, Aryll and Kairi while he was gone. And since he was a Sheikah, it was possible to do so if he just followed orders. He was working with his emotions… And cast a barrier over his sister to protect her… Just like his father advised him to do…

"Why isn't it working?" Veran growled.

"No matter, we shall kill them all in the end." Onox rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"I say it was him who did it!" she pointed at Link, who looked up at them, bearing their gazes calmly, but murderously.

"But I thought we already locked away his magical abilities, dear." Onox remarked.

"Maybe he found a new way to break out!" she suggested angrily. "I say it was the father, who was trying to protect his kids! Take him down first!" she growled.

"Fine, very well." Before we knew what was going on, the gun cocked at Link's neck had been moved to the bridge between his neck and shoulder, and shot.

Eyes widened in horror, unable to utter a word because of the intense pain, Link shot up for a moment, then, after a short, yet heart-breaking scream of pain, his head fell back down, unconscious. The rest of his body followed quickly after, and with a thump, he fell on his chest, blood pooling around him.

Onox looked down at him distastefully and sneered. "We'll lock him up for you. You get up there and lock yourself in your room. And don't try anything funny now." he warned.

Trembling in horror, I took Kairi back from the guard's arms and nodded fearfully. Oh Goddesses. Oh dear Goddesses, Link…

"You are dismissed." Veran waved away.

Without even trying to resist, I grabbed Roxas's hand, Kairi cradled closely in my other arm, and with Aryll following, I ran away.

_********************_

_I am not afraid to keep on living,_

_I am not afraid to walk this world alone._

_Honey if you stay, you'll be forgiven,_

_Nothing you could say can stop me going home._

_~Roxas's Theme (Famous Last Words- My Chemical Romance)_

**---------------**

**Author Notes:**

**Yet another awesome theme =D Best MCR song ever =D**

**So yea... the huge scene in this chapter was basically the scene that inspired this story =) Now everyone, say goodbye to Link, because we won't see him (albeit mention him) until... Chapter 9...**

**Also, I wanted to tell you all that I'm going on vacation after tomorrow, on the 19th. It pains me, it really does, and I wish I had a wireless internet plug =( Where I'm going is a retarded country, though I hope they have internet cafés... xD If not... then this blows =( And I'm coming back on around the 8th, I can't remember =(**

**In any case, I swear to Farore that I'll make updates. Even if I'm a bit late from the date announced, I WILL post. Anyway...**

**Next post: Tuesday, July 21, 09 (hopefully)**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU TO LEAVE A REVIEW =) Reviews are a proof that people are reading this. If I know people are reading, I'll do extra efforts to get chapters out earlier =3**

**Hope you liked it! ^^**


	6. Ninja girls shouldn't make decisions

**Author Notes:**

**THANK FARORE FOR INTERNET CAFES!!!**

**Say whuuuut? I didn't skip time here!!?? Wow, that's a first xD Anyway, here, we say GOODBYE to Link, because you won't see him in the story again until the very end of the 7th chapter (and even then, it'll be just two phrases he'll be participating there) and he'll finally come back on the ninth chapter (I'd know, I wrote until the 10th chapter, and halfway through the 11th =P).**

**Anyway, enjoy =)**

**---------------------**

_I got shivers, when you touch The Light,_

_I'll make you hot, g__et all you got,_

_I'll make you wanna say_

_Jai Ho._

_I got fever, running like a fire,_

_For you I will go all the way,_

_I wanna take you higher_

_Jai Ho._

**_**************_**

The following hour was terrible. Shortly after I was "kindly" escorted to my room by a couple of Labyrennians guards, Tetra was also brought in, carried by one of the only surviving Hylian soldiers in the castle. He'd explained to me that she was found knocked out next to the dungeons' staircase, and that he'd brought her here since the nurses weren't at the infirmary, instead all locked up with the rest of the staff in the dungeons.

Nothing was too wrong with her, except a huge black spot that was blooming on her left temple. Someone must have punched her. I only got the chance to ask when she woke up, about an hour later. I was wiping her forehead with a wet towel as she slept on my bed when she moaned and moved a bit.

"Tet!" I immediately exclaimed as her eyelids fluttered open. She groaned in pain for a moment, then, bringing her hand up to her bandaged left temple, she moaned in pain again.

"My head hurts…" she sighed, gritting her teeth.

"Lie down, it'll do you good." I pushed her back down as she tried standing up.

Tetra didn't reply to that. Instead, only a few tears rolled down the sides of her eyes, onto the sheets. A few more followed, and it was soon a river. I decided to ask the risky question.

"What happened…?" I asked sorrowfully, wondering what else the Labyrennians had done except hurt Link.

"Sheik…" was the only response, laced with pity, hurt, concern and worry.

So they hurt Sheik as well…

"Tell me what happened…" I encouraged her.

"Not unless you tell me your story first. I heard you got bombed twice and was taken to a private meeting with Onox and Veran." She nodded to me, pushing herself up in a sitting position.

"It's not very bright for a story…" I chewed my lip, refusing to cry once more.

"Mine isn't either. So what's your story?"

And, reluctantly, I started telling her the horrible events that had unfolded while I was taken away.

---

By the end, I couldn't help myself. I started crying again, burying my face in my hands to muffle my sobs.

Next to me, I heard Tetra gulp down nervously, and then, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me comfortingly.

"Are you sure you wanna hear my part? You don't seem like you're in the right mood…" she chuckled darkly.

"Yes, I do." I nodded confidently, drying my tears and looking at her.

Now, it was her turn to bite her lip and gather her memories. I patiently waited for her. Finally, she sighed, looked up at me and started.

"Well…" she bit her lip. "After I heard the first explosion, I rushed out from the castle kitchens and headed for your room. But since it's far away from your room, it took time. When I got there, you weren't there anymore. I asked the people present, they said you'd been taken away to the Throne Room. So I decided to wait a bit. Though after a while, three Labyrennian guards came in. They asked for Aryll, Roxas and Kairi. Everyone protested, but they… they said it… the phrase that broke me…" she started sniffling again, and two more tears ran down her cheeks.

"Said what?" I encouraged her, rubbing her back in soothing motions.

"I remember each and every cutting word: _We are holding the General and his adjutant prisoner in the dungeons. We will not hesitate to do harm to either of them, so make your choice. The kids, or the Prince and his adjutant…_ That's what they said." She wailed and started crying again.

_Sheik…_ "What happened then…?" I encouraged again.

"Everyone protested again and refused to believe them, saying they were lies. That's when… They brought Sheik in…" she sobbed again once more, stopping her story for a moment. I waited patiently, remembering what I felt like when I saw Link. I'm sure Sheik was in a similar condition.

"He looked…" she stopped, unable to say a word.

"Terrible? Horrible? Weak? Vulnerable?" I tried.

"All that and much more…" she sighed, willing herself to stop her tears.

"Like Link…" I reminisced sadly.

"Like Link." she affirmed, then continued. "They said… That he was proof they weren't lying… And that's when Sheik lifted his head and looked at me with those… scarred eyes…" she sniffled again. "With just a whisper, he told me to run away. He said '_run, Tetra. Please, take Naminé and run…_'… Those were his exact words." She cried again.

"He'll be okay." I comforted her, trying to avoid remembering how I felt when I saw Link.

"And then… AND THEN THOSE DAMN GUARDS HIT HIS HEAD BACK DOWN!" she screamed. "I HEARD HIM GASP IN PAIN, AND THERE WAS BLOOD ALL OVER HIM!" she panicked. "That's when I screamed. The guards found a weakness and hit him again. That's when I called him name and started crying. The guards seemed to find it funny because they lifted him and took him out while snickering. They said they'd do us a favour and keep him in the dungeons for us." She sniffled, and dug her head in my shoulder to cry.

I kept rubbing her back in soothing motions with a sad frown.

"It hurt so much…" she hiccupped. "So I ran back out. On the way down, I grabbed a sword from a decorative armour… And when I found the guards who were taking Sheik away, I attacked them." She sniffled again. I gave her a tissue, and she blew her nose in it before continuing. "I fought a while, but then, the guard punched me in the head. I only had time to hear Sheik calling my name and stifling another gasp of pain, then, I blacked out…" she finished with a sad sigh.

"We'll get him back, I promise…" I sighed out, hugging her tightly. "Just like we'll get Link back." I convinced myself.

That's when Aryll came in. She was holding Kairi again, who was still sleeping. Amazing. Roxas walked behind her, still looking scared by what had unfolded a couple of hours ago.

"Tetra…" Aryll softly called.

Tetra lifted her head and looked at Aryll and nodded for her to continue. But the phrase that she said was the last thing she needed to finish her off.

"Where's Naminé?"

---

Sighing, I ran faster in the castle hallways, hiding in a shadow as a Labyrennian guard passed by. Now that the castle had been taken over by Onox and Veran, I was not allowed outside my quarters. Didn't mean I wouldn't get out…

Running across the hall as the guard turned away, I stealthily made my way down to the nursery. I recalled Aryll's words after Tetra passed out. The blow must have been too much for her.

"Last time I saw her, it was before the explosion… She was in the nursery, playing with her nanny… After the explosion… I have no idea…" was all she said before I was already running out, heading down to the nursery.

My eyes finally caught the end of the hallway. The door to the nursery. Checking around one more time for hidden guards, I dashed out in the open and quickly opened the door, quickly slamming it shut behind me.

The first thing I heard was soft sobbing, followed by a gasp, clothes ruffling, and silence.

"Naminé?" I called out softly, walking a bit into the room. It was a mess. Toys were spread everywhere, the beds were messed up, the blankets lying everywhere on the ground…

Was that blanket shaking?

Sighing, I quickly ran over to the shaking blanket and slowly pulled it over. I suddenly got a glowing red palm in my face, right in front of my eyes.

"DON'T MOVE ANYMORE! I'LL BLAST YOU TO PIECES! I'M PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF-"one poke at the shaken little girl's neck was all I needed to make her fall down like a rag doll. Sheikah pressure point. One poke right on the spot, and the Sheikah is disabled. I sometimes used it when Roxas refused to go to bed.

"It's okay, baby, it's Auntie Zelda…" I comforted the little girl, who had now closed her eyes and was crying.

"Auntie…?" she tried, opening her eyes. I lifted her up in my arms with a little effort, and made her look straight in my eyes.

"Yes, it's Auntie Zelda, Naminé… Relax, I'm gonna take you to mommy…" I assured her.

"I'M SCARED!" she started crying again. I bit my lip, knowing that I couldn't get found out.

"Okay, here's a deal. Let's play a game. Whoever keep silent the most wins." I winked.

"What do we win?" she asked innocently, stopping her wailing.

"Umm… A trip to the ice cream palace." I smiled.

"I'M IN!" she giggled, and slapped her hands over her mouth. "I'm not gonna talk, I'm gonna win." She grinned.

Smiling at her innocence, I made sure she was securely leaning on my shoulder before I headed for the door, and carefully opened it. I had to get Naminé to safety.

Seeing no guards, I slid out of the door and silently closed it behind me. Just as I expected, the guards thought everyone here had been taken down to the dungeons, so they didn't bother patrolling here.

Thanking the Goddesses, I kept creeping around the desolate hallways towards my room. I had much to do now. If Veran and Onox expected me to stay in my room like an obedient puppy and not do anything about this, then they were painfully mistaking.

---

Once inside my room, I put Naminé down and stretched.

"Dear Nayru…" I turned to Naminé. "You win, sweetie, you can talk now."

"I WIN!" she exclaimed, raising her fists in victory. I smiled.

"Naminé?" a weak voice suddenly asked.

"Go ahead." I urged the little girl, who turned towards my bed and gasped.

"MOMMY!" she screamed, running for Tetra, who was lying on the bed, looking pale and weak.

"Tetra!" I gasped, following.

"It's okay…" Aryll suddenly came in with a bucket of water and a towel in her hands. She sat down next to Tetra and wiped her forehead with the wet towel. "The shock was just too much. She's a bit sick, but she'll be alright very soon." She assured me.

"Why are you sick, mommy?" Naminé inquired.

"It'll be alright, my love…" Tetra chuckled weakly.

"I'll help you get better." Naminé smiled and plucked a kiss on her cheek.

Tetra chuckled and hugged her daughter. I smiled at the scene, wishing I could do something to make it better.

"Where's Roxas?" I inquired.

"Playing with action figures in the adjacent room." Aryll assured me.

"You might wanna put Naminé in there too." I suggested. "I'm going out again."

"Where?" Tetra asked, pushing herself up.

"Somewhere." I vaguely replied, spotting three bottles of blue potions on a nearby table. "Hey, can I steal a couple of those?" I asked.

"Go ahead. Tetra won't be able to drink it all anyway." Aryll laughed.

I smiled. "Thanks." With that, I grabbed two bottles, used a clip to hold them safely onto my pants, and slid out of my room again.

---

This time, my destination was a creepy underground. Opening the door to the bowels of the castle, I slipped in quietly. My hand tightened around the hilt of a sword that I grabbed on my way here.

Slowly, I walked down. The nearing clanking of metal armour told me I should hide. I slid into the shadows and kept silent as the bored guard passed by.

After he was gone, I slid back out and headed deeper into the dungeon. Where my first target was probably being kept.

Ignoring all the moans and cries of all the other people, probably staff, being held here, I bit my lip and tried continuing on.

I promise… I promise I won't leave you here… I promise I'll save you all… Right now, I have a mission to complete, though.

I finally reached the door that lead to the second level of the dungeons. Second level beneath the ground, that is. As the levels went down, so did the altitude. In the end, the last level, level 7, was about 200 feet under the ground. That's where the air smelled the most putrid, and the cleanliness was the worst, and that the worst case criminals were kept during the medieval times.

Ignoring the bad feeling churning inside of me, I proceeded. I passed a couple cells filled with attendants and counsellors. Guess this is where the higher classes were kept. Emptily wondering where my ministers were, I trekked forward, ear out for any sounds.

Ah, there they were.

I saw a cell packed with all my ministers. Everyone was currently sleeping, and I didn't wanna wake them. So I threw them all a worried glance and ran for the door to the third level.

The third level was… How to describe it… Disgusting.

As soon as I stepped inside, I stepped into a puddle of dark Farore-knows-what. Grimacing, I stepped forward, until my path was cut by a couple rats that squeaked and ran across the floor to the other side.

Keeping myself from screaming in outrage and disgust, I kept walking forward, ignoring the stench of blood and sweat in the air.

He had to be here. His captors wouldn't be as cruel as to bring him further down, would they..?

I called his name, softly, at first, trying to make sure no guards were present.

Apparently not because no clanking was heard nearby. Only the roaring fire of a single torch next to me, and the faint heavy breathing of a human being.

I called him again, slowly advancing through the darkness. At one point, I saw the faint glint of keys hanging on the wall, and I quickly snatched them.

Turns out that I needed them as I finally saw a locked cell. Peering inside, I saw a single figure, only lit by the dim torchlight.

Bingo.

Taking out the keys, I chose the one that looked most like it would work, and inserted into the lock. After a few unsuccessful tries, I found the right key, and the lock clicked open.

The prisoner's head slowly moved up. In the dim light, I'm sure he couldn't see me, but the rough voice that followed proved I got the right person.

"I… I won't tell you… Anything…"

My heart shattered, and I fell to my knees in front of him, splashing in… ewww…

I turned back to the man. His arms were chained above his head in a fix shackle. He had folded his legs and was lying sideways, leaning on the wall. His head, previously drooped on the side, was now moving up to look at me.

"Sheik…" I whispered, slowly crawling to his side.

Just like Link, Sheik looked like he'd been to Hell and back. The very same slashes, whip marks and bruises covered his naked torso. I contained the urge to cry, seeing my protector and best friend in such a state.

"Sheik, it's Zelda…" I whispered comfortingly as I slid next to him and lifted his chin up to help him see me.

"Zel… Da…?" he panted. I could hear every trace of pain laced in his voice. I bit my lip and slowly circled my arms around him in a loose hug, as not to hurt him any more. I dug my face briefly in his dirty, blood-streaked hair, then got back up.

"Don't worry Sheik." I unlatched a blue potion from my hip and uncorked the bottle. "Drink this. Blue potion." I assured him.

Tilting his chin up to help him drink, I poured the content of the bottle down his throat in small quantities, making sure he was gulping down before I gave him more.

When the entire content was gone, I put the empty bottle back on my hip and looked at him.

I could see the magic operating. With a faint blue glow, the wounds on his chest and arms were closing. Soon, he lifted his face and looked at me.

"Zelda…" he breathed, as if astonished. I took the time to analyse his figure. Asides from his extremely dirty hair, his face was also streaked with dust and dirt here and there. His dark navy shorts went down a bit further than his knees, and were ripped towards the bottom. I could see, even in the dim lighting, the ribs pushing against his chest. I held back a groan of repulsion and wondered how bad really the Labyrennians were treating the General's adjutant…

But if this was just the adjutant… Then what were they doing to the General himself…?

I held back a cry of worry as a pang hit my heart. I felt like throwing up, disgusted at my enemy's cruelty.

"How do you feel…?" I asked, concerned.

"Better, with the potion you gave me…" he smiled.

"Good." I sighed in relief. "Hey, do you know where Link is?" I asked.

Sheik's face fell. "No… I'm sorry… We were both brought here in different cars. I haven't seen him since we got captured together…" he sighed.

"Oh…" I bit my lip. "Can you sense him, at least?" I tried again.

"Let me try…" he sighed and closed his eyes. Then, he froze. I respected the silence, and after a few moment, he opened his eyes again. "I can." Was the phrase that made my heart flutter.

"How is he? Is he okay? What are they doing to him? Where is he? How's his spirit?" I pummelled him with questions.

Sheik chuckled and calmed me down. "I can't answer all that. The walls act like barriers… Though I know he is inside the castle… Apparently, he's unconscious or asleep because I can't read his mind… But… there's this deep aura of anguish inside of him… I can feel it from here…" he frowned. "He's concerned… About…" he turned up to me. "You."

Instead of getting sadder and crying even more, all feeling except anger suddenly left my mind.

Why was he concerned? Couldn't I take care of myself? Didn't he think I could take care of myself?

"He's wounded, dying, imprisoned Nayru-knows-where, hurting, aching, agonizing, and all he can think of is me!? Doesn't he think I'm responsible enough!?" I suddenly got up, clenching my fists. "WORRYING ABOUT ME WON'T GET YOU OUT OF THIS HELLHOLE, LINK!" I screamed to no one in particular.

When my breaths finally calmed down, I dropped to my knees next to Sheik, who was now silent again.

"Sorry…" I sighed.

"It's alright…" he assured. "Though I'm sure someone heard you and they'll be passing to pick you up anytime now." he grimaced.

"Guess that means I won't find Link tonight…" I sighed. Then, I unlatched another bottle of blue potion off my hip and uncorked it. "Open up. The least I can do is give you his share." I smirked.

"Thanks." Was all he said before he gulped the content of the bottle down.

And as soon as I latched the empty bottle on my hip, the level door swung open, and some guards ran in. Immediately spotting me in Sheik's cell, they yelled something to each other, and rushed for me. I gritted my teeth, shutting my eyes tight.

And before I knew it, someone had grabbed my upper arms roughly and was lifting me out of the cell.

"Sheik." I mouthed before the cell door swung shut again. I took a second to analyse his boyish, tainted features. So young, so scarred. His eyes reflected only fear, hopelessness and helplessness. "I'll be back." I silently promised.

"_I'll be waiting."_

---

The guards roughly threw me inside my room. Literally. And my side hit the corner of my bed. Gasping in pain, I curled up around my side, clutching what I'm sure is now a black spot, in terrible pain.

"ZELDA!" a new voice ran in, followed by a gasp. I lifted my eyes to see the guards advancing. Tetra was on the other side of the room, with Aryll, Kairi and Naminé behind her.

"What do you bastards want?" she growled. I could see Naminé listening to her and storing the word "bastard" for future uses. I chuckled grimly.

"Queenie here disobeyed a direct order from your new ruler." One of the guards picked me up by my elbow roughly. I whimpered again, my black side aching all over.

"ZELDA!" Tetra gasped, recognizing the look of pain spread across my face. "LET HER GO!" she ordered.

"Not so easily." The second guard advanced so them. Tetra backed up defensively, taking the kids with her. "Give us one of the kids. Any one. The punishment shall be taken out on him or her." The guard grinned sadistically.

"YOU BASTARDS!" I screamed, feeling tears spring up my eyes. "DON'T TOUCH THEM! YOUR BUSINESS IS WITH ME, NOT THEM!" I screamed, followed by a scream of pain as the guard holding me prisoner twisted my elbow, sending a searing pain up my arm.

"Of course." The guard turned to me, smiling maliciously. "It'll teach you not to repeat your actions if I hurt someone you love."

With that, he lunged forward towards Tetra. She steeled herself, ready to protect the kids at all costs.

"TETRA!" I screamed in warning, but it came too late. The guard's metal-gauntleted fist crashed into her stomach harshly.

Breath escaped her body for a moment, and the brute force of the punch was so violent that she was throws back, staggering. Hitting the wall, her knees gave out under her, and she crumpled on the ground.

"MOM!" Naminé screamed in horror, quickly running over to her and kneeling next to her mother.

"DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT!" I pleaded, horrified. The guard, ignoring my pleas, advanced for the little girl next to her mom, who was now being shaken vigorously by her daughter.

"Wake up mom! Wake up!" Naminé desperately screamed. A shadow suddenly loomed over her. She lifted her eyes and was met with the huge metal giant that was the guard. She screamed.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" I ordered. Even to my ears, I couldn't figure out if it was an order or a plea.

"Come here, you little rat." The guard snickered, bending down to scoop Naminé up. In her fright, her Sheikah senses took over, and she jumped between the guard's legs, escaping his grip.

"MOMMY, HELP ME!" she screamed. "DADDY, PLEASE!" she pleaded, a few tears dripping to the ground.

"You'll meet Daddy soon enough." The guard jumped on her. Naminé screamed and closed her eyes.

"NAMINÉ!!" I yelled, horrified. "Aryll!" I turned to Aryll, who was working on reanimating Tetra. She looked at me hopelessly, afraid. I couldn't force her to injure herself. "SOMEONE, PLEASE, HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping for a miracle.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

I was calmly playing with my action figures when I suddenly heard Mom and Auntie Tetra screaming. Knowing that Daddy had told me to hide if I ever heard anyone panic, I put my figures down and got up. I ducked under a nearby desk and waited.

Soon enough, it was only Mom who was left screaming. Wondering what was going on, I closed my ears to try and drown out the pleas that were making my senses flare. I wanted to jump in there and see what was happening, but I wanted to follow Daddy's rules to make him proud. So I stood hidden.

Only when I heard Naminé's terrified screams accompanying my mom's, I decided to at least see what was going on. So I quietly snuck out of my hiding place and peeked through the door.

The sight made me hold back a scream of my own.

There was one of those mean giants dressed in metal who was holding mommy by her arm. Mommy was fighting to get free and was screaming obscenities, many of which I kept in my mind to use at free will. My gaze travelled to where she was looking at.

I saw Auntie Tetra, with Aryll shaking her. Wondering why she was sleeping at a time like this, I looked at the source of the most terrified screams of all.

I gasped when I saw the guard grab Naminé and lift her up. My best friend started crying, and screaming louder, trying to kick herself free. My grip tightened on the door, and I shrunk again, still watching the horrifying scene.

The guard suddenly laughed and threw Naminé on mom's bed. She screamed in pain and hit the mattress, bouncing and rolling again before stopping motionless. But I could see her shoulders shaking. Mommy's screams got louder and most insisting.

And I really understood what was going on when the guard took out his big sword and pointed it down at Naminé. The latter lifted her head, and looked straight into the metal. I could see the fear reflecting off her teary eyes as the soldier got ready to slash her through.

No. Enough is enough! I WOULDN'T LET THEM HURT NAMINÉ! I WOULDN'T LET THEM HURT THEM ANY MORE!

"ENOUGH! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!" I suddenly screamed, using the word I'd heard mommy scream since the beginning of this affair, rushing out into the room. I heard mom gasp (I don't know if it was what I said or just the fact that I'd revealed myself) before my second identity took over. Through the eyes of the spirit now controlling me, I saw myself raising my arms, bending them back and balling my hands into fists. The same blue magic that Daddy and Mommy used to worry about suddenly crackled around me, forming a sphere.

All the people in the room suddenly turned to me. Their surprise was short lived, though, as the sphere suddenly grew, shrunk back over me, and exploded, sending waves of magic all around the room.

When my second identity left me, I suddenly stumbled a few steps and fell to my knees, panting. Looking up, I saw the guard attacking Naminé falling down, and the guard holding Mommy wavering. Mommy grabbed the guard's weapon and hit him over the head with it. The soldier fell with a thud, as did I right after I heard mommy screaming my name.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

"ROXAS!" squirming out of the Labyrennian guard's grip, I ran for my older child, who was now lying on the floor, motionless. I quickly kneeled next to him and took him in my arms. Despite being a tad heavy, I lifted him up and squeezed him against my heart, fresh tears pouring out of my eyes. I looked over to the guards. They were still breathing. Roxas's Sheikah attack just knocked them out.

I then looked over to Naminé, who was kneeling on my bed, curled up in a ball, apparently sobbing softly.

"Naminé…" I called.

"Please…" she whimpered. "I just want my mommy…" she sniffled, looking up at me. Her right arm had a nasty bruise blossoming on it, but she looked fine, if not a bit disturbed.

"Don't worry." I looked at Tetra, who was stirring. "You'll see Mommy." I assured her.

"I also want Daddy." She buried her face in her hands, still crying.

I bit my lip at that, instinctively clutching Roxas closer. It hurt us all… This entire affair… It scarred the children so badly…

"Daddy can't see you right now… He's doing something…" I tried explaining.

"BUT HE ALWAYS SAID I WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE!" she suddenly screamed, sobbing noisily. "WHATEVER HE'S DOING, HE CAN COME TO HUG ME, JUST FOR A SECOND, RIGHT?" she asked helplessly, looking up at me with teary eyes. I bit my lip, feeling extremely guilty for letting all this happen… If only I'd been stronger… If only…

"Nami… Naminé?" a groan suddenly came from behind. I turned to see Tetra shaking her head to clear the blur and looking around.

"MOMMY!" Naminé cried out, terrified.

Tetra gasped and shot up. "NAMINÉ!" she screamed. Spotting her daughter crying on my bed, she jumped up and onto the bed, immediately scooping her up into her arms and burying her face in her shoulder. "It's okay, Nami, mommy's here now… Shush… Mommy's here, nothing's ever gonna happen to you again..." she whispered into her ear, crying a few tears as well. My heart constricted in guilt even more, seeing how much grief I'd cost them.

"Mom…" Naminé sniffled. "I wanna see Daddy… Please Mom, just for a minute, I just wanna see Daddy…" she pleaded.

I could see Tetra stiffening at that. She turned to me.

"Daddy's…" she urged me to continue with a pleading look.

"Daddy will be fine." I filled out. "At least I was helpful for SOMETHING…" I muttered.

No one replied to that.

My attention turned back to Roxas, who was still lying unconscious in my arms. That attack must have drained him. And since it only knocked out the guards… They'd know everything when they came back to the real world. It would endanger Roxas, Kairi, Naminé, even Aryll.

I suddenly took a decision that I knew was for the best.

"Tetra, Aryll." I suddenly called solemnly. The two people I called turned to me. "The castle isn't safe any more for the kids. Hyrule isn't." I slowly made my way to the point.

"Then what can we do?" Tetra whimpered, hugging Naminé closer.

"Only one thing to do…" I lifted my eyes, looking at Tetra. "Send them to Termina."

"WHAT!?" came the response from both of them. Aryll got up and sat down next to Tetra to see me better.

"I mean… Veran and Onox are already a bit suspicious… They think it was Link who protected Kairi from death, but when they find out Link's not the only Sheikah in the family…" I bit my lip. "This can't go on anymore. We have to save the kids, at least. Malon, Anju and the gang are ALL in Termina. All we have to do is send them there. Aryll will explain, and there's no way they won't take the kids under their wing until this damned war is over." I saw Naminé shifting, storing the word 'damned' as well. Wow, we're SUCH good parents…

"But… who will take them…?" Tetra asked. "We can't leave the palace grounds or it'll seem too suspicious." She noted.

I nodded. "I thought of that too." I looked at Aryll, who was listening to this conversation calmly. "Aryll will take them."

"WHAT!?" now only Aryll stood up and protested. "But I can't even protect them if anything happens! I don't even know the route to the border! And there is bound to be a lot of Labyrennian soldiers everywhere!" she panicked. After a while, she sighed and sat down. "I can't do it…" she frowned hopelessly.

"Yes you can. Roxas and Naminé will help you. As for the quickest path, we'll get you a map." I told her. "Please… If you won't do it for us, do it for the kids… If their secret is found out…" I bit my lip, reluctant to be getting to this. "They could end up just like Link." I noted sadly.

Aryll gasped at that, zoned out for a second. I guess she imagined what the kids would look like if they were in Link's position.

After a long while of pounding silence, she slowly nodded. "I'll do it… For the kids… and for Link…" she whispered sadly.

"Awesome. I'll get you a map while Tetra helps you guys pack." I smiled, getting up. I slowly lifted Roxas onto the bed and kissed his forehead before heading for the door. Looking outside and making sure there were no guards patrolling, I slid out to go get Aryll a map of Hyrule.

Their fate was in her hands now.

_*******************_

_You are the reason that I breathe,_

_You are the reason that I still believe,_

_You are my destiny,_

_Jai Ho..._

_No there is nothing that can stop us,_

_Nothing can ever come between us,_

_So come and dance with me,_

_Jai Ho._

_~ Tetra's Theme (Jai Ho- Pussycat Dolls)_

**-------------------**

**Author Notes:**

**So I ran out of themes... Hey, gotta admit that the song is pretty good for Pussycat Dolls... No, I'm not a fan of Pussycat Dolls, this song just called out to me when I thought of Tetra xD**

**Okay then =D Very dull transition chapter, though very sad and sweet too at the same time =3 Oh, and Sheik torture FTW! xDDD**

**Awwie, I was awwww-ing at Naminé the entire time I wrote her part, the one with "I wanna see Daddy and stuff." That was really really cute =3**

**But asides that, the last part gives you a clue on the content of the next chapter =) One of my favourites, I might add =D**

**And I'm really really glad I could make this update after all =3 This internet cafe is my newest favourite place on earth ^^ Plus, the iced tea here is delicious =P**

**By the way, curious on what I'm doing right now? Follow me in my personal diary, currently updating on Deviantart ^^ www(dot)****crazy-about-loz(dot)deviantart(dot)com**

**Next posting date: Sunday, July 26, 2009 (if I can)**

**Please be kind enough to drop a review! =D Though exceptionally, don't expect a review reply xD If I don't reply, doesn't mean I don't appreciate your reviews, though ^^; I think of you guys every single day =3**


	7. Who said kids can't kick ass?

**Author's Notes:**

**You have every right in the universe to stab me. But, before you do so, read this chapter. For those who wanted to see more Namine action, here we go ;)**

**Also one of my very favourite chapters =D Very fun to write, and very long too (rejoice! xD) A Roxas/Naminé centered chapter too, for the people who wanted to see more of the kids =D Sadly, after this chapter, they'll disappear forever =( No, they won't die, I mean they won't come back into the fic ever again (unless I decide to change the ending...)**

**In any case, enjoy the theme, it's from DDR. Very very sweet theme, and one of my favourites to dance to =3**

**---------**

_Listening to others' words,_

_Sometimes interfere what's in your thoughts,_

_Blocking out what flows out of your mind,_

_Blinding what you feel deep inside of your heart._

_Learning to turn down what you don't believe,_

_Picking the words that you really don't need,_

_Helps you to find all the answers _

_That you were looking for..._

_*******************_

"You ready?" I asked for the hundredth time, very anxious.

"Yep. Did you give Kairi a sleeping potion?" Aryll asked.

"She should be out for five hours. As soon as she starts stirring, give her the extra supply I put in your backpack, alright?" I assured her.

"Got it." She gulped down nervously and added. Then, she shifted, making sure Kairi was well strapped on her back, sleeping in folds of her clothing.

"Roxas, Naminé." She called. The two kids suddenly moved to her side, sensing the nervousness hovering in the air.

"Mom?" Roxas asked. I put a hand on his shoulder to silence him.

"Roxas… Mommy has some work to do at the castle. And she needs to be alone. So you're going to go join Uncle Kafei , Auntie Anju, Auntie Malon, Uncle Ralph and everyone else, alright?" I smiled.

"What're you gonna do, mom?" he inquired, curious.

"I'm going to help Daddy, alright?" I smiled crookedly.

"NO!" he protested and suddenly jumped in my arms. "DON'T DO WHAT DADDY DID! DON'T END UP LIKE HIM!" I felt something icy wetting the clothes I was wearing.

"I promise love, I won't end up like Daddy. I'm going to save Daddy and make sure he's okay." I assured him.

"Be careful mom. I love you too much to lose you." He whimpered, pulling back to look at me.

My mask of neutrality shattered. Unable to fight the urge to cry, I hugged Roxas fiercely, incessantly kissing his blond head and crying.

"You will never lose me. Ever." I whispered back.

As for Tetra, she was next to me, explaining the same thing to Naminé. She'd been awfully silent since the guard attacked her a couple hours ago, so it was easy. The little girl just kept nodding at everything her mother told her.

"Kids." I finally broke the moment. "Listen to me carefully." All three of the kids (and teenager included) looked at me intently. "I want you to protect each other. No matter what happens, never leave each other's side. Always. Never give up. Aryll knows the way, just follow her. I don't wanna hear any complaints from her when you guys get to Clock Town, understood?" I cleared.

"Yes mom." Roxas nodded.

"Okay, Auntie." Naminé silently whispered.

"I'll protect them, whatever the cost is." Aryll vowed in a breath just above a whisper.

"I know you will." I smiled comfortingly and pushed some hair behind her ears. "I believe in you, Aryll. Their lives are in your hands. If you do this correctly, Link will be so proud, you can't imagine how proud he would be." I smiled through my unshed tears.

"Dad's gonna be proud if we get to Auntie Malon?" Roxas piped in. I slowly turned to him and smiled.

"He'll be so proud, he could cry." I whispered with a smile.

"I WANNA MAKE DADDY PROUD!" he exclaimed joyfully.

"Good boy." I nodded.

"Will my daddy be proud too?" Naminé asked in a small voice.

"Of course he will, Nami." Tetra smiled and hugged her. "Daddy will be so proud, he's gonna give you so many surprises when he gets back from where he is." She assured him.

"Where is daddy anyway?" Naminé asked.

Tetra and I bit our lips and decided not to tell her that Link and Sheik were about in the same crappy position right now.

"Daddy's gone out with some friends for a long while. Mommy's gonna get out there and teach him a lesson for not coming home in time for dinner!" Tetra giggled.

The giggle was infectious. Soon, everyone was chuckling.

Then, the laughing stopped and the pursed lips came back.

"Aryll…" I whispered again.

"I won't let you down. I promise, I promise over my life." She swore.

"Roxas." I turned to my son.

"I'll make you and daddy proud, just you see. I'll protect Kairi, Aryll and Naminé so well, you guys won't believe it!" he grinned, taking everything as a joke. I smiled sadly.

And I turned to Aryll. "Be sure he doesn't tire himself out. If he does, there are half a dozen of red potions with you, half a dozen of green ones for the kids' magic gauges." I told her.

"Alright." She nodded seriously, shifting her average sized pack over her back. I'd also snuck in some food, bottles of water, some extra clothes and a wallet full of money for anything they might need.

"Naminé." I turned to Tetra's daughter.

"Yes Auntie Zelda?" she asked quietly.

"Help Roxas to protect you guys. You know that glowing thing you can do with your hands?" she nodded. "Roxas will tell you how to use it to make bad guys fall down." I smiled, knowing Sheik rather keeping his daughter's powers on the defensive side while Link went straight onto the offensive Sheikah training.

"And may the Goddess watch over you all." I bit my lip, keeping my tears in. I crawled over to show them a passage in the wall. "This passage will lead you to the castle sewers. You got a map of the sewers with you Aryll, so you know where to go from there. Then, when you end up in Castle Town, look for a hole through the waterway's metal bars. You'll be able to swim through without having to dive." I informed them. Aryll nodded.

"And from there, we exit to Hyrule Field, going south. With the Lost Woods map you provided us, we should be able to find the passage that leads us to the border. And from there, all we gotta do is make a crazy run for the border, right?" she asked.

"Roxas will help you there." I nodded. "Roxas honey, when Aryll tells you to, make that disappearing act, alright?" I smiled at my son.

"This one?" he asked, melting in the shadow of the bed right next to us, then coming back out easily.

"Yes, that one." I chuckled.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Only change is, you'll have to hold Aryll's and Nami's hand there. And Aryll will tell you where to go, alright?" I smiled.

"Yeah! This sounds cool!" he cheered. I smiled sadly, wishing all this to be a game.

But it wasn't. There was a high chance they'd be caught and punished… or even worse… killed…

I brushed the thoughts away and shooed them away before I had another chance to start crying.

"Go now, before anyone notices you're gone, or the guards wake up." I ushered them towards the passage. Aryll smiled sadly as a goodbye, and dropped to her knees.

"Sayonara, Zelda-sama."

After a brief nod in our direction, she crawled into the dark passage. As for Naminé, after hugging Tetra fiercely for a moment, she kissed her mom on the cheek, smiled, and followed after Aryll. Roxas was left.

"Hey! Roxas." I called before he crawled in. "Come here." I ordered.

He obediently stepped forward. "Yes mom?" he asked innocently.

"Promise me something." I threw him a hardened glare. "Promise me you'll protect them, listen exactly to what Aryll says, and make it safely to Termina, alright? Promise me that, and swear it on your honour." I ordered.

"I promise to do all that mom. I don't ever wanna let you down. I'm gonna make you and dad proud." He smiled and hugged me. I sniffled, took one last sniff of his scent, kissed him and pushed him away.

"The Goddess Farore is watching over you, love." I smiled sadly. "Be brave, like your father. Just don't be impulsive." I advised. "Now go. The safe grounds of Termina are waiting." I pushed him through the opening. He threw me one last pure azure look, then crawled in, disappearing into the darkness.

A moment of silence followed… Two moments… After what seemed like an eternity, we looked inside the hole. No one. I slowly closed the wooden trapdoor over it and pushed the night table in front of it to mask it.

"The Goddesses are watching over them." I only whispered, raising my eyes to the ceiling and whispering a silent prayer for a safe trip.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

I don't know why we're here. It stinks. The walls are made of stone, all grey and dirty. There's like... green stuff everywhere. We're walking on a thin strip of stone now, and there's a flow of digusting-looking water running in a hole next to us right now. I think this is what mom calls 'a sewer'.

"Aryll-chfan…" I whined quietly, pinching my nose with one hand and holding Naminé's hand with the other.

"We're almost out, Roxas…" she sighed for the third time, checking her map. "Just a bit more. Remember, if we make it out, daddy's gonna be super proud of you." She smiled.

"Fine." I sighed. "I'll be strong, to make daddy proud." I grinned.

Yes, making daddy proud was very important for me. Same for Naminé. Why? Because I wanted him to smile every time he saw me. Make him smile behind the pain that he felt… I don't know what's going on, or why we have to go see Auntie Malon right now, or why those mean people were hurting daddy, mommy, Auntie Tetra, Aryll, Kairi or Naminé. I just didn't get it. I just wanted dad to remember what I did and smile, no matter how much he's hurting.

With those thoughts in mind, I gripped Nami's hand tighter and accelerated the pace to keep up with Aryll.

"There it is!" Aryll finally sighed in relief, pointing at a small light coming from the ceiling not too far away from us.

"About time…" I muttered, making a disgusted face.

"Come on." Aryll headed for what I realized was a ladder under the little light. Once we were all there, she grabbed one of the ladder's bars and started climbing up. "Naminé, you're gonna follow behind me when I call your name, alright?" she asked. Nami nodded. "Roxas, you're gonna close up when I call your name." She turned to me.

"Okay." I simply answered.

"Good. Now keep quiet." She ordered before she climbed up, the clinking sound of her shoes against the metal being the only thing we could hear.

We simply waited in silence until Aryll's voice came to us. "Alright Naminé, you can come up now." she called.

"Go on." I urged her, helping her get secured on the ladder before she too climbed up. I stayed at the bottom, looking intently, just in case she fell.

She didn't, and after a while, Aryll called down for me. Grabbing the first bar, I started climbing up. Almost at the top, I felt Aryll sliding her arms under mine and pulling me up with a bit of effort.

When we were finally out, I sighed out. "Thank Farore, it was stinking in there!" I complained.

"Shush!" Aryll quickly applied her finger to my lips to silence me. "What did I tell you about being quiet?" she scolded.

"Okay Aryll-chan…" I frowned and looked down. "Sumimasen." I apologized quietly.

"It's okay. Now follow me." She switched her map for another one, and after looking at it for a little while, she made a sign for us to follow. I took Nami's hand once again and pulled her behind as we followed Aryll through the darkness.

Once we were there, Aryll told me to drop to my knees in a pool of water. Same for Naminé.

"We're gonna crawl through, alright?" she asked.

"Okay." I nodded for both of us and pulled Nami on her knees. Following Aryll through what I realized was a small hole in the wall, I wondered where we were going to end up until I heard the soft sound of water splashing somewhere.

"Okay, now Roxas, listen." Aryll's voice came to me. "I want you to hold Nami's hand and do that disappearing act, okay?" she asked.

"Okay…" I shrugged, my grip on my best friend's hand getting tighter.

"And reappear in that shadow under the pole, got it?" she pointed at a pole with a light on it. Hard to miss, in the darkness.

"Okay." Before she had time to say anything else, I disappeared in a shadow next to me and travelled to the pole. Once there, I got out and waited for Aryll. Soon after, a small splash was heard, and deep breathing.

"Come on, guys, I'm in the water." Aryll called. I pulled Nami, who was still as silent as ever, towards the water, and I spotted Aryll in it. "Come on guys, you remember how to swim, right?" she asked.

"Yeah! I beat Nami in a race last month!" I chuckled, sitting on the edge and falling into the water as softly as I could.

"Come on, show us what you can do." Aryll encouraged me as I started moving my arms and legs like daddy had showed me. As for Aryll, she grabbed Naminé, who had always been a bit more afraid to swim, and pulled her into the water. Nami soon let go of her and swam to my side.

"Alright, kids, lets go. Swim as softly as you can, alright?" she advised.

"Okay." Me and Naminé replied at the same time. I grabbed her hand once again, blushing, and pulled her through the water as we headed for the wall. Once there, Aryll showed us a hole through the metal bars that blocked the exit. Understanding what we had to do, I pulled Nami through, making sure none of our clothes got stuck on the rest of the bars that spiked up from under or over us.

Once we got through, Aryll followed, and she pointed at some ground next to us. Pulling herself up, she helped us up one by one and quickly untied the sling that held Kairi in. Quickly making sure the water hadn't gotten in, and that my sister was still asleep, she tied it tightly with Kairi in front of her and smiled slightly.

Suddenly, Naminé sneezed shyly and shuddered. I smiled and put my arms around her in a hug.

"Don't worry, we're out now." I encouraged her. Something was telling me that this wasn't as much of a game as I originally thought it would be. Why weren't we aloud to make some noise? Why did we go out at night, at the time when mommy usually insisted we were asleep? Why did we swim in water without our bathing suits?

Something was whining in my mind, telling me something was wrong with this entire 'game', but I ignored it and took off the little jacket I had on me and wrapped it around Naminé. She sneezed again and smiled slightly.

Aryll sighed. "I wish I could give you some new clothes right now, Nami, but we're in the middle of Hyrule Field, and we can't get spotted by those mean guards." Our nanny frowned.

Naminé suddenly stopped and looked up at Aryll. "They're not going to hurt us again, are they?" she whimpered. I hugged her tighter.

"No Naminé…" Aryll pushed some of her wet hair behind her ear. "I promise, they'll never hurt you again." she whispered, then got up. I got up as well and gave a hand to help Naminé get up.

Together, we followed Aryll as we pressed ourselves against the stone wall surrounding the town. At one point, Aryll made a sign with her finger to follow her. We silently crept out of the shadows, still hand in hand, and followed her as she made a straight run towards a big tree not far from the walls. From there, she made another sign for us to follow her. I held Nami's hand tighter and disappeared, reappearing next to Aryll, who jumped slightly.

Looking out for one of those guards, she ducked again and ran for yet another tree. I did the same, yet I felt my powers weakening a bit, tiring from using it too much.

At the next tree, Aryll finally stopped and looking towards the forest. From here until there, there were no trees left. So…

"We'll have to run as quietly as we can." She whispered, and I saw her glare pinned at the trees in the distance.

"Aryll-chan…" a cold wind suddenly passed by us, and with our wet clothing, we all shuddered. It wasn't what worried me, though. I could feel someone… approaching…

"Not now, Roxas." She ignored me, still looking for a way to cross safely.

"Aryll-chan!" I called more urgently in a whisper.

"Just a second, Roxas!" she sighed, not even looking at me. My hand got even tighter around Naminé's, so tight, she had to use her other hand to loosen it a bit.

It suddenly came. I heard whistling in the air. Faint, but I heard it. Nami heard it as well and squeaked. My other side jumped in, and I whirled around, taking Naminé with me. And I only registered what happened when something cut through my right shoulder and stuck itself in the tree next to me with a thud.

I couldn't breathe anymore. The pain… It hurt so much…

"Roxas!" Naminé all but screamed. It finally caught Aryll's attention as she turned around and gasped. Tears ran down my face, but I didn't wanna scream. Mommy said I shouldn't scream. Daddy didn't scream when those mean people hurt him. Why should I scream at such a small injury?

So I dropped to my knees, holding the slash on my right shoulder in pain, crying. Aryll was soon by my side, trying to get my hand off to see the injury.

But the person that was approaching had already found us.

"HALT!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Aryll turning to meet the person, and Nami's hands tightened on my shirt. Just by the person's voice, I could guess who it was.

"Sir!" Aryll suddenly gasped, bowing before one of those mean guards whose boss hurt dad.

"You, little lady." The man bent down and picked Aryll up. "As a denizen of castle town, I'm sure you know the rules. No getting out of the house after eight o' clock, much less out of castle town. And you DO know you can get punished for disobeying, right?" he spoke, but the words were unclear. There was something like fog in my vision, like I was underwater. So were the voices. They were all… muffled. Groaning slightly in pain, I squeezed my injury tighter, making more blood slide through my fingers.

"Please, I don't mean any trouble, I had just taken these kids out to Zora's Domain, and we were late on our way back, and we were forced to walk back, and I rather get them to their parents as quickly as possible, which is why we didn't wait for morning!" Aryll recited in one breath. I only heard parts of it in a normal tone, though. The rest was drowned out.

"Well." The guard grinned evilly. "You should've waited for the morning. It would have saved you from the trouble." He pulled her up and his arm wrapped around her, lingering awkwardly on her… ew…

"Aryll-chan…" I called weakly, wanting to save her. But my second side left me, and Nami had to hold me so I wouldn't fall.

"Please, Sir…" I could hear the trembling in her voice. "I just want to get them home, please, don't hurt us…" she pleaded in a small voice.

"Well, I could overlook this…" the guard grinned again. I don't think he was happy, though…

"You could?" Aryll exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes… On one condition…"

"Anything." Aryll quickly replied. I groaned, not only in pain, but remembering mom's advice: do NOT be impulsive.

"Good then." The guard suddenly lifted her skirt and Aryll screamed.

"Aryll-chan!" I exclaimed as hard as I could, feeling terribly helpless. "Nami!" I turned to Naminé, who was watching, horrified. "Nami, do something!" I pleaded, tears falling out of my eyes.

But when my best friend turned back to me, it wasn't her usual blue eyes that were looking back. They were red… I saw daddy's eyes like that sometimes… When he was about to…

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Naminé suddenly exclaimed, and a harsh wind blew around her, gathering. I closed my eyes, knowing how bad these attacks could end up as.

The guard, surprised for a second, looked at Nami and raised a brow. Though seconds later, he was thrown back by the hard wind that Naminé unleashed over him.

Aryll thankfully came to her senses when the evil man let go of her to fall back a few steps and crawled to my side, holding me up on her lap and trembling.

"Nami…" she whispered, amazed and horrified at the same time.

Naminé didn't reply. Instead, she simply waited for the guard to get back up to smile again.

"You… You LITTLE WENCH!" the guard roared, making both of us shiver. "I don't know what kind of MONSTER you are, but you die right here, right now." the guard took out his big sword and held it up to hit Naminé. But I was too weak to call out anymore. Aryll did it in my place.

"NAMI!"

But she was too busy joining hands together and closing her eyes. When she opened them, they were burning red, and a pale blue sphere appeared in her hands. It suddenly grew, and right before the guard's sword hit her, she threw it at the soldier. It hit him right in the chest, and, gasping for air, the mean soldier fell to the ground, unmoving. His sword fell next to Naminé by a few feet.

Naminé suddenly turned back. Her eyes were blue again. I smiled.

"Thanks Nami… You saved us all…" I gasped in pain again.

"Not if you hadn't saved me first…" she whispered, terrified, caressing my hair as Aryll took my hand off my injury to look at it. I made a grimace in pain, but bit my lip to stop a scream coming from deep inside me.

"It'll be alright, Roxas…" Aryll assured me. "Here, drink this…" she took her bag off her shoulder and after looking for it for a little while, she took out a bottle of red juice."Drink it, it's good for you." She took off the cap and gave it to me.

"It doesn't taste like broccolis, does it? Because broccolis are good for me and they taste awful…" I cracked a smile, making Aryll grin and Naminé giggle. I took the bottle and quickly drank it all (it tasted a little bit like cherry), giving the empty bottle back to Aryll when I was done. Wiping my mouth with my sleeve, I cocked my head when the pain disappeared. I looked at my shoulder. The injury wasn't there anymore!

"There we go. Now, let's get outta here before the guard wakes up or some more get here." Aryll shuddered, slowly getting up and helping us up.

"But I'm tired, Aryll-chan…" Naminé complained.

"Must've been the magic you used." Aryll sighed and took out two bottles of green juice this time. "Go ahead and drink this, you guys. You won't be tired anymore after you drink it." She told us.

"Okay." We both nodded at the same time and drank the green juice as well. It tasted a bit like lime, but it was definitely good. After we wiped our mouths and gave the bottles back to Aryll, we set out again. There was this new surge of power in me, and my second side finally returned, waiting for the moment to strike. I think it's the same for Naminé. She looked better now as well.

"Now guys, we're gonna run as silently as possible. Just follow me, alright?" Aryll told us.

"Kay." Nami and I replied at the same time.

"Come on." With that, she was off, looking around for anyone as she dashed through the huge field. I grabbed Naminé's hand once again and followed, making sure she was keeping up as we ran across Hyrule Field.

---

At one point, though, we were almost halfway to the forest when Aryll stopped to take a rest. Naminé and I took the chance to stop a bit as well, panting from the running we were doing.

"Aryll-chan, I'm tired, can we take a nap yet?" Naminé complained.

"Naminé…" Aryll sighed. "We'll take a nap as soon as we get to the forest. Until then, here, eat this." She looked through her backpack and took out two sandwiches.

Nami grabbed one hungrily as I slowly reached out to get it. At first, I only nibbled, but soon realizing it was a chocolate and Deku Nut butter sandwich, I gulped it down. My favorite.

"Come on, guys, we're almost there." Aryll encouraged, looking ahead.

"Okay…" I nodded, looking up at her. After Naminé finished eating, Aryll started running for the big road that separated Hyrule Field in two. There was something like a hill before it, so we could hide on the side of the hill and make sure no one was walking on the road before crossing to the other side.

Soon after we ducked on the side of the road, though, Aryll peeked up towards the other side. Having one hand on her side, and the other on Naminé's hand, I could feel it when she froze.

"What's wrong?" I asked curiously.

Aryll didn't reply for a second, then, she turned, frowning, and whispered. "Barbed wires…"

"Bar-what?" I asked, confused. I'd never heard any of those words before. Curiosity piped up, and I jumped from my position to look across the road. I only had time to see a fence made out of three metal lines with spikes on them before Aryll pulled me back down.

"Shush! Be careful! We can't let anyone see us!" she whispered nervously.

"Sorry…" I sighed.

We stood silent for a moment, Aryll listening closely.

"We have to cross." She finally said. "We can't lose much more time. Right now, there isn't anyone around, but we have to cross before anyone decides to come around here." She frowned. "Let's go." She silently got up and looked around before crawling across the road. "Look around, Roxas. Create a shield if you see anything harmful." She ordered, pointing at Kairi and me to cross as well. Taking her hand once again, I forced her on her knees, and we quickly crawled to Aryll's side.

She then took a deep breath and grabbed two… barbed wires, that's what she called them, and pulled them. The top one went up, the bottom one went down, creating a hole through which we could pass. Wondering why her hands had started bleeding, I watched silently as Aryll nodded to Naminé.

"Naminé, go." She ordered.

Nami hesitated for a second, then, she carefully slipped through the lines. Aryll looked at me, getting ready to tell me to go through, when I heard a familiar sound. Not a good one, too.

"WATCH OUT!" I gasped loudly, quickly putting my hands in front of me. A pale blue shield appeared in front of me, large enough to protect Aryll and Naminé as well.

Soon enough, something metal clanged against it, followed by others and others and others again. Each one sent me about one inch back. Aryll had already passed to the other side and was looking around, afraid.

"What the hell's that kid doing!?" I suddenly heard from a little away from us. I looked through the darkness and saw three scary soldiers advancing for us, with those large, booming things in their hands. And they were shooting at me!

I paled, but I gulped down, focusing on keeping the barrier up. I saw what one of those did to Daddy. I didn't want the same to happen to Aryll or Nami.

"Roxas!" Aryll called. "Get in here, quick!" she nodded to me, nudging to the hole in the wires with her head.

"I can't! If I drop my arms, the shield will disappear!" I cried out, feeling myself weaken. Slowly, the metal things that were hitting my shield were forcing me back.

"What the hell is that kid anyway! He's not human!" another voice cried out. I gulped down, trying to focus.

"I don't know, though I heard something like this happened at the castle too!"

"Hey, this kid could be a potential threat!"

"LET'S TAKE HIM DOWN AND TAKE HIM TO THE QUEEN, BOYS!"

Even though I understood only half of the conversation (the other words were too complicated for me to follow), I knew these evil men were up to no good. And I didn't know what happened until Aryll cried out from behind me.

"ROXAS, WATCH OUT FOR THAT ROOT!"

Of course, not knowing fully what a root was, I stepped back once more and tripped on something. Even though my arms stayed up, I stumbled back and I roughly fell backwards over what Aryll called "barbed wires".

Now I knew why she was so afraid of them.

There was a huge burning sensation in my back, and I realized that this is also why Aryll's hands had started bleeding after she grabbed the metal lines.

These things had spikes in them. It hurt. A lot.

I screamed. I screamed like there was no tomorrow, my back burning like I had never felt before. My hands finally dropped, and I faintly saw the shield dropping as well before the only thing I could see was red. I started crying, biting my lip to avoid screaming again.

"ROXAS!" I heard two voices screaming from behind me, the two of them full of worry.

"NAMI, DO SOMETHING!" I heard Aryll pleading. And I heard soft sobbing.

"Nami…" I gasped in pain, hearing people running for us, metal clanking around them. "Nami…" I opened my eyes and I faintly saw them, staring horrified at me. "You guys can go… I'll… catch up, or something…" I assured them, gulping down another scream of pain, doubling my tears as a result.

"NO, ROXAS!" Naminé screamed. Suddenly, I felt two hands on my left arm. "I WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!" she cried and hugged my arm. I tried smiling, but found I couldn't. Instead, I just frowned again and dropped more tears.

"Please… You're gonna get hurt…" I pleaded weakly.

"Please, hold on! No one's leaving without you! Aneki is gonna get you out! Don't worry, we're not leaving!" she kept crying, hugging my arm tighter.

"Please Nami… Do something… The mean guards are coming… They'll hurt us all…" I gasped in pain again as I felt someone touching my back and sighing in horror and desperation.

"I PROMISED THEY WOULDN'T EVER HURT US AGAIN!" she suddenly screamed and I saw a faint blue glow around her. I smiled weakly.

"That's it, Nami…" I encouraged her. Though I don't think she was listening.

"THERE THEY ARE! STOP FIRING, ONE OF THEM IS HURT, THEY'LL SURRENDER EASILY!" the guard yelled.

"WAIT, WATCH OUT!" I heard another yell.

That's when Nami let go of the power building up inside and I heard the guards screaming. Then, a dull thud followed, and nothing more.

"Roxas…" Naminé's tired voice called.

"Great job, Nami… You… stopped them…" I smiled, feeling my strength let go of me. Idly wondering why I was stepping in a pool of water, I closed my eyes and listened.

"Nami…" Aryll called desperately. "I need you to do what Roxas does and hold his hand. Then, disappear into the shadows and reappear next to me…" she told her.

"But I don't know how to do it…" Nami wailed again and started crying.

"Nami…" I called weakly, fighting to stay away from the darkness that was coming closer and closer to me. "Nami, you can do it… It's not about skill or strength… Just believe in what you do… You'll know you're doing it right… You can do it… I believe in you… Naminé…" I started panting for breath as it became harder to push back the darkness coming even closer towards me. It scared me. I didn't know what the darkness was, and I didn't wanna know either. Something told me it was bad. As it got closer, I could feel myself fading away.

"I'll try. For you, Roxas." She sniffled and grabbed my hand.

We all held our breaths, except me, because I was trying hard to breathe right now. After a moment, I still felt nothing.

"I CAN'T DO IT!" Naminé started crying again.

"It's okay… It's not your fault…" I smiled one last time, feeling the darkness close up. "You tried. Sayonara, Nami-chan." And with that, the darkness swallowed me.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

"What do you mean!? What do you mean by goodbye!?" I cried, still holding his hand. It was getting… cold?

"NO ROXAS!" Aryll suddenly took his other hand and gasped. "DON'T GO ROXAS! DON'T DIE ON ME LIKE THIS!" she screamed, tears falling down her eyes.

Die…?

My world froze… Roxas… was… dead?

Roxas? MY Roxas? The Roxas who smiled and comforted me when I cried? The Roxas who protected me when the mean guards attacked me? The Roxas who played with me and spent his days with me? The Roxas that made me feel warm and happy inside?

No… Not MY Roxas. MY ROXAS COULDN'T BE DYING!

"ROXAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!!!!" I finally screamed, feeling a weird emotion flowing over me. For a second, it felt like cold water was washing over me. And the next, darkness swallowed me.

And… What? The next second, I was standing next to Aryll, Roxas lying next to me. Off of what Aryll called "barbed wires".

"Nami…" Aryll gasped, looking at me. I didn't even know what happened, but I did it.

"ANEKI, DO SOMETHING!" I cried.

"Of course!" she gasped and looked through her backpack. She finally stopped and took out something in a bottle. It wasn't juice or anything.

It was a floating ball that sparkled.

"Fairy…" Aryll whispered. "Zelda said it was one of the last ones in Hyrule… And I should use it only for desperate measures…" she spoke to herself. I watched, mesmerized by the fairy. I thought these things only existed in stories!

Aryll finally looked down at Roxas. His hand was getting colder by the second.

"This is drastic enough!" she finally cried out, throwing the bottle next to Roxas.

The bottle smashed, sending glass flying everywhere. I shielded my eyes against the pieces of glass, and when I looked back, I saw the fairy flying on top of Roxas. The cute little fairy, all pink and shiny, shook her head, disappointed, then started flying around Roxas.

Wondering what she was doing, my eyes looked at the fairy as she made circles all around Roxas, dropping some pixie dust over him.

When she was done, she landed on Roxas' nose and kissed it, then flew into the air, disappearing.

Roxas' cold hand suddenly became a bit hotter, and hotter again. Soon, his and my hand had the same temperature again. I smiled. It was good, right?

"Flip him over." Aryll ordered. I obeyed and pushed Roxas on his chest, holding his head in my lap as I watched Aryll. She reached for Roxas' ripped shirt and ripped it more, passing it over his arms and completely taking it off.

She then took out a long roll of white cloth and untied the end. Then, she wrapped the white cloth around the cuts on Roxas' back. The white tissue became red as soon as she put it on the bleeding spots, but as she put on more of them, the red disappeared. Soon, all of Roxas' back was white.

"Alright. Let's move before someone else comes here. The forest is not very far, ten minute's walk." She sighed in relief.

"What about Roxas? He can't walk…" I noted.

"I know. I'll carry him, but you'll have to take Kairi, okay?" she untied Kairi's sling from her chest and gently gave her to me. I nodded and took Kairi, making sure Roxas' little sister was still sleeping.

Aryll bent down and scooped Roxas up. After grunting in effort for a bit, she held him tightly. With me dragging her backpack with one hand and carrying Kairi with the other, we started walking towards the forest.

The only thing I could think of, though, was my well deserved nap now.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

I woke up a bit later. I don't know what was going on, but my head hurt. A lot. So I groaned, and holding it, I sat up.

"ROXAS!" a gasp suddenly came from my side. I turned my head and saw Aryll quickly running over and kneeling next to me.

"Aneki!" I smiled.

"How are you feeling, Roxas?" she asked.

"My back hurts, and my head too. But I'm fine." I shrugged.

"Thank Farore Nayru and Din." Aryll sighed out, looking at the sky for a moment. Then, she turned back to me. "What happened, Roxas? One second…. You were… talking… the other… you were dead… and… now you're back…" she raised a brow.

"I don't know." I shrugged again. "I just remember falling on those 'barbed wires' of yours and then, I… I forgot… I was trying to encourage Nami to get me out… And it didn't work… And there was this darkness… It swallowed me, and I don't know what happened next." I tried explaining.

Aryll only sighed and hugged me. "Thank the Goddesses."

"So… where are we?" I asked, looking around at the unfamiliar sight.

"In the forest. Nami and I finally made it. Now that you're awake, we can finally head for Termina again. The border is about an hour's walk from here, and Clock Town, our destination, is about another hour from here." She explained.

"We're almost there?" I asked, hopeful.

"Yes, we're almost there." She smiled warmly, then dipped her hand in her backpack, taking out a bottle of red juice. "Drink it, please, and follow with this." She also handed me a bottle of green juice.

Doing as she said, I drank them both, and after licking my lips, I gave them back to Aryll. "Arigato." I smiled.

"You're welcome." Aryll smiled, and got to shaking Naminé, she was sleeping next to her.

"Nami… Nami wake up… Roxas if awake, we have to go now, before the sun starts waking up too." She called.

Naminé groaned, then her eyes opened. She stared at me and yawned. "Roxas?" she asked.

"Oi! Nami!" I exclaimed, glad to see she was okay.

"ROXAS!" Naminé squeaked and jumped on me, hugging me. We both fell down, laughing. "ROXAS, YOU'RE OKAY!" she laughed, hugging me tighter.

"I won't be if you don't stop choking me!" I gasped amusedly.

Naminé laughed and got up, helping me up as well. We both stared at Aryll, who was unwrapping Kairi's blankets now. We looked curiously as Kairi's eyes slowly opened, and she let out a piercing scream. Soon after, she started crying.

"Why is imotosan crying?" Naminé asked curiously. "Is she hurt too?" she cocked her head to the side.

"No, she's just… tired…" Aryll replied, looking for something in her pocket.

"But she was asleep all along! How could she still be tired!?" Naminé gasped.

"Babies like Kairi get tired very quickly. That's all." Aryll replied again, taking out a bottle full of Lon Lon milk. She opened it and put something sparkly inside. The milk became slightly yellow. Aryll then put a bottle cap on it and gave it to Kairi.

My little sister immediately grabbed the bottle and started drinking. We all watched silently as Aryll helped Kairi drink. She she was done, Aryll lifted Kairi over her shoulder, and not a minute later, Kairi gave out a big burp. Nami and I couldn't help but laugh.

Aryll also chuckled and put Kairi down on her sheets again. I saw her eyelids closing and she yawned.

"Good night, Kairi-chan." I wished her and smiled. Kairi gave out a small grin, showing her two little front teeth. Her eyes soon closed, and she yawned once more before sinking into sleep again.

"Let's go." Aryll smiled and wrapped Kairi in front of her again. "We have two more hours to walk, and about one hour before the sun wakes up. We don't wanna get caught in the morning, now, do we?" she smiled and made a movement for us to follow. Without a word, Nami and I followed her.

---

Thankfully, the walk through the forest was less tiring than the run across the field. We took it relatively slowly compared to the first part of the trip, but running around like this seriously started tiring me out, personally. I could guess it was the same for Nami, because she often stopped and panted before running to join us. I frowned sadly. I hope we get there soon…

"Finally!" Aryll suddenly stopped as we walked through yet another corridor of trees. I almost bumped into her, and Nami dropped on her knees, sighing in weariness.

"What's wrong, Aryll-chan?" I asked.

"Nothing's wrong! We finally made it to the border!" she grinned back at us. "Come on. One last run of about 300 feet, and we're there! It's not too far now, is it?" she giggled.

"Great!" I sorely raised my thumb, disappointed that there was still some running to do.

"Come on. You need your strength. Take these last two bottles of juice." She handed us the last bottles of green juice. Nami and I instantly gulped them down, feeling some strength returning. As for Aryll, after drinking some red juice and collecting the empty bottles, she turned around to the border. Peeking out from under her open legs, I could spot some of those mean soldiers walking along a fence with those… oh no, not 'barbed wires' again!

Aryll seemed to sense that I froze in horror, because she pulled me back into the bushes and smiled.

"It's okay, we won't be passing through now. Like okasan said, here, you're gonna hold our hand, and when we get there, you're gonna do the disappearing trick to the other side of the fence, got it?" she asked. "Nami will hold up a shield while we run, okay?" she asked, looking towards Nami who was still sitting, curiously looking up at us.

"Hai." She briefly nodded and got up, dusting her white dress off before standing next to us.

"Hold hands." Aryll ordered. We quickly complied, squeezing tightly. Aryll took my hand. "On three, we run out. Nami will hold up her shield while I show you where to disappear and reappear, okay Roxas?" she asked.

"Okay." Nami and I both nodded at the same time.

I gulped down nervously. I didn't wanna know what those mean guards would do if they caught us, so I concentrated, trying to convince my second identity to take over and help me. It slowly came out, but before I had the chance to fully take it out, Aryll counted down.

"One, two, THREE!" she yelled that last number, and dashed out, us behind her. Naminé's light blue shield quickly appeared around us, and I heard shouts and little explosions followed by something metal clanging against the shield. Though I blocked the noise out.

My heart was pounding faster and faster as we got closer to the fence. I knew Aryll wouldn't stop, it would be too dangerous. So I needed to teleport before we ran into those spiky metal 'wires'.

"I can do it…" I grunted, closing my eyes, letting Aryll guide my steps and my second identity guide my soul. "Help me Daddy… Give me your strengthf, just for a second. I just wanna borrow it to save Nami and Aryll… I'll give it back to you then… Kudasai, otousan…" with those words, I opened my eyes again. My vision was a bit reddened, proving that my second identity had taken over.

I felt confident, strong. Grinning fully, I carefully looked at where Aryll was pointing at. I didn't frown, though. Even if the distance between the two shadows she wanted to teleport through was big, it didn't matter. I knew I had both my okasan and my otousan behind me. They'd help me for sure. With that thought, I gripped both Aryll's and Naminé's hands tighter and screamed out. "HERE WE GO!"

Not a second later, I let the power of the shadows, the power of darkness, wash over me, and I dragged Aryll and Nami with me as I became a shadow on the ground. Quickly retreating into the fence's shadow, I took a boost and blasted off towards the shadow Aryll wanted me to get to. It was a bit further down, and since the sun was waking, there weren't many shadows around, but taking advantage of the remaining darkness, I jumped left and right until we reached the shadow patch.

That's when I let my second identity fall asleep, and all three of us fell out of the shadow.

For a moment, all of us stayed silent and looked around. It looked like we were in some kind of a forest… Huge pink flowers were scattered about everywhere, and trees grew around us. On our left, I could see a huge lake. On our right, I could see something like a desert. In the distance, I spottfed something like the wall that surrounded Castle Town.

"Where are we, Aryll-chan?" I asked, tired.

She simply smiled and held both our hands. "Termina." Was all she said. It was enough to make all three of us crack a smile.

We finally made it.

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

Malon and Anju were walking through the streets of Clock Town, chatting and laughing. After leaving the boys at the Milk Bar, they left for a little walk around town.

"I'm tired of Clock Town… Shall we visit The Swamp? Kafei says that at this time of the year, beautiful flowers grow and stuff. Plus, I need to buy something from the Old Hags' Potion Shop." Anju suggested.

"Why not. It's not like we have anything special in today's schedule…" Malon shrugged as the two friends giggled and stepped out of the South Gate.

The first thing they actually noticed, though, was the sight of a blond and blue heap on the ground, next to the brick steps. The colours of the clothes and hair were too bright to belong to a beggar, so the two girls decided to check it out.

No sooner had they gotten over ten feet that one of the blond heads suddenly popped up. Even though it had been a long time the girls hadn't seen him, they recognized the young Prince of Hyrule.

"ROXAS!" the two girls gasped in unison. Roxas slowly blinked, swaying a bit, and holding Naminé's hand in his own.

"… Malon obasan…? Anju obasan…?" was all he could say for the moment.

"OI ROXAS!" the two girls panicked, kneeling next to him. "What's going on!?" they asked, horrified when they noticed Sheik's daughter and Link's sister unconscious next to him.

"I… just wanna… sleep…" the little boy yawned. And not a second after, he fell down with a thud, unconscious.

"Call the hospital, Anju, I'll stay by their side." Malon immediately ordered.

"RIGHT!" Anju frantically nodded and ran off, whipping out her cellphone in the process.

As for Malon, curious, she unwrapped the slightly moving bundle of cloths tied over Aryll's neck to find the sleeping Princess of Hyrule cuddled up in the folds of the dark red cloth.

"What the hell happened to you guys…?" she could only whisper, hugging Kairi against her frantically beating heart, desperately waiting for help to arrive.

_***************_

_You're looking for the light,_

_Shining oh-so bright,_

_Guiding you to find your way to_

_What you want for your own,_

_Nothing is easy, you gotta be strong,_

_Gotta stand up for what you believe,_

_A True Heart._

_~Naminé's Theme (Will- Naoki)_

**----------**

**Author Notes:**

**A really sweet theme, from DDR: Hottest Party. A very cute one, and I think it fits Naminé perfectly xD**

**Alrighty then =) As you have noticed, I inserted many japanese words in this chapter. Mainly because I'm learning japanese right now (Umm... _Konichiwa, tomodachi, watashi ga kono monogatari wo daisuki..._ Did I say that right? O_O). So... If anyone can tell me what 3 of the japanese words of your choice in this chapter mean, then... I gives you a cookie. No cameo because you can easily use an english-japanese dictionnary and cheat, or if you're already japanese, it's not fair to the others xD This little contest's just for fun.**

**Oh, and important message to anyone who can speak japanese out there: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CONTACT ME!!!**

**Anyway, enough of the japanese xD**

**Yay, very awesome chapter =D Bit cliché, though not as cliché as it would have been if Naminé had succeeded getting Roxas out on her first try xDD**

**So yea... Now everyone wave goodbye to the kiddoes, cuz we won't ever see them in this story again =D We'll mention them, but we won't have a scene with them ever again ^^**

**GRRR!!!! I wanted to make this a RoxasxNaminé pairing fic, but at the middle of the chapter, I REALIZED THAT ROXAS AND NAMINÉ WERE RELATED!!! O_O Well, yea, Nami is Tetra's kid, and Tetra is Zelda's cousin! So like, even if the kids are second-cousins, they're still cousins! And... that's when I broke down crying xD**

**So yep.**

**Next posting date: Friday, July 31, 2009**

**Until then, hope you like it, and PPPPLLLEEEEAAASSSEEEE REVIEW! =D**

**Also, look up the meaning of this 100% true phrase ;P**

**Watashi ga baka desu.**

**xDDDD**


	8. Sheik and drugs don't add up

**Author Notes:**

**Before-last post made in Armenia =3 I don't have a lot of time now though =(**

**I really don't have anything to say here. Wow. I must be getting rusty xD**

**Zelda/Sheik centered chapter. Semi-transition chapter. Enjoy =)**

**---------------**

_Try and find out what makes you tick as I lie down,_

_Sore and sick, do you like that?_

_Do you like that?_

_There's a fine line,_

_Between Love and Hate, and I don't mind,_

_Just let me say that I like that,_

_I like that._

_***********************_

The following two days were... horribly maddening. Not knowing how my kids were doing was driving me crazy. To Onox's and Veran's glee, Tetra and I silently stayed in my quarters, wondering if Aryll had gotten the kids to safety.

Two days later, I was lying down on my bed when my personal cellphone rang. I quickly fumbled through my bag to get it before any one of the ten guards posted outside my quarters could hear it and confiscate it. I quickly ducked behind my bed and flipped it open.

"Hello?" I whispered, wondering who could have called me at such a time.

"Zelda!" the reply was both amused and offended at the same time.

"Yes, hello?" I asked, curious who would call my name without my title these days.

"I'm ashamed of you, Zelda." The voice chuckled.

"May I know who's speaking?" I inquired.

The voice ignored my question. "I mean seriously. What kind of mother lets her kids travel all alone?" the voice chuckled again.

"Who's speaking?" I demanded, stiffening. "How do you know of my kids?" I asked again.

"Wow Zelda. How could you forget me? At least I didn't forget your kids. They say an aunt never forgets her nephews." The voice chuckled.

"Aunt? My kids' only aunt is right here!" I all but screamed into the phone, panicked.

"Then in that case... Any special reason why the kids are calling me Auntie Malon?"

I blinked. Did she just say... Malon...? But Malon... was in...

"Malon?" I squeaked.

"That's my name." Malon chuckled.

"But... why're you calling...? And... Roxas...?" I asked, feeling tears rush up my eyes... If she called because Roxas's corpse had just washed up Great Bay's coast...

"They're all fine. In fact, they're sending you helloes." Malon giggled. A second later, three voices screamed into the phone.

"HI ZELDA!!"

I jumped back, dropping my phone, clutching my heart. Breathing heavily, I waited until I calmed down to take the phone again.

"Roxas..? Aryll..? Naminé..?" I called hesitantly.

"Hey mom!"

"Hi auntie!"

"Hey Zelda!"

"Thank Nayru..." I whispered, the tears flowing down my cheeks. Intense relief swept over me.

They'd made it safely to Termina.

---

I spent three hours talking to the kids. I don't care if I have to pay extra on my phone, but the calls that came on my room's phone were checked and taped. I didn't feel like letting Veran and Onox find out I'd let my kids escape away. They'll find out sooner or later, but I'd rather later.

Three hours later after Malon called, Tetra came back from wherever she was. I gave her a turn on the phone, and she started crying in relief when she learned that the kids were safe in Termina, under Malon's, Ralph's, Anju's and Kafei's wing. The rest were still gone on their honeymoon and would be returning to Clock Town in a couple of days.

And finally, after five hours of non stop talking, sobbing and making sure everyone was okay, I bid them goodbye and snapped the phone shut. Right on time as a couple of Labyrennian guards entered the room without knocking, carrying three trays of food as our supper, including the plates they planned to give the kids, which they had no idea about yet.

I quickly pushed the phone under my butt as I shifted on the bed and glared as the two guards put the platters in front of Tetra and I, and quickly left without a second glance. Only when they were gone, I took my phone out of my ass and set it on the night table.

"Thank Nayru..." I sighed for the hundredth time.

"I'm so happy they're out of the danger now..." Tetra added on.

"They are... but we aren't..." I mentioned sadly.

"It'll be alright." Tetra smiled sadly and circled her arms around me.

We stayed enlaced for a while, until I sighed and detached myself.

"I need to change my ideas." I told her, getting up and heading for my closet. I quickly switched my skirt for sweat pants and turned back. "I'm gonna go see Sheik." I nodded seriously.

"You sure?" Tetra bit her lip uneasily. "Last time you got caught , Nami almost died, remember." She mentioned.

"I won't get caught." I assured her.

"Be careful." She looked at me pleadingly.

"I will, I promise." I grabbed a blue potion from the little closet hanging on the wall and slipping it on the knot on my pants. Making sure it was safe, I grabbed the doorknob. "If the guards ask, I'm in the bathroom, having a major constipation fit." I laughed.

"Can do." Tetra laughed along and winked. "Besides, it's not like they'll check. They won't suspect you slipping out during suppertime considering we haven't eaten since morning." She noted.

"Great. I'll bring back some news." I nodded and exited carefully.

I now found myself in the antechamber of my quarters. Through the door waited the hallways of the castle, full of Labyrennian guards patrolling every corner. Of course, I wasn't crazy enough to exit through the front door and run in front of everyone yelling "I'M GONNA GO SEE SHEIK!"

So instead, I headed for the left wall and felt for a loose brick. You guessed it. Secret passage. Made by the medieval inhabitants of this castle. Midna decided to keep them, in case of emergencies only. And I think this is an emergency enough.

"There." I grinned, pushing on a loose part. With a low rumbling sound, the wall drew back, showing me a hole I could barely crawl through. Gulping down, I made sure no guards were coming and I kneeled, crawling in. Once I was completely in, I felt darkness engulfing me as the loose part of the wall scrolled back into its place, locking me into the tunnel. Crouching even more, I crawled faster, eager to go get news from Sheik...

"I'm coming, Link..." I whispered, glare narrowing as I crawled through the darkness.

---

The tunnels scattered around the castle were all connected to a single room under the castle. From there started the crossroads of the passages that lead to everywhere around the castle. Roxas had once found this place, and I'd labelled each corridor to know where they lead to. Who knew it would actually come in handy one day?

Looking around, I quickly reviewed the corridors that lead to the lower east part of the castle… Kitchen… Army's and servants' quarters… There! Dungeons!

I quickly ran into the passage labelled "dungeons" and continued into the darkness. Once, I got my hand in a spider web and almost screamed when the spider descended right in front of my eyes, but asides that, the trip to the castle's bowels was uneventful.

I emerged inside the dungeon, pushing a sliding block in an empty cell with a broken door. I'd personally had the door taken out so that the cell could not be used anymore and had an open come-and-go for the users of the passage.

Crawling out, I dusted myself off quietly, then blended into the shadows as much as I could to reach the door to the second level.

Thankfully, it seems the guards were on a dinner break as well. So I quietly slipped into the door and closed it behind me.

The second level hadn't changed a bit. It still reeked like blood, sweat and death. Pulling my sleeve over my mouth and nose, I ran across, ignoring the crossroad that would've lead me to my Ministers' cells, as I'd found out a while back. Instead, I quickly ran in a straight line towards the locked door that lead to Level 3.

Locked? It wasn't locked before… Sigh, guess the Labyrennians actually used their heads for once and put in some extra security since I sneaked in so easily last time.

"Damn…" I muttered, bringing my fingers up to my hair. Fumbling through while making sure I wasn't messing it up too much, I pulled out a hairclip. Swiftly inserting it into the lock, I started screwing around with the mechanism inside. Guess all those spy movies Link and I watched at night, cuddled up with Roxas sleeping in our lap finally paid off.

"Link…" a feeling of nostalgia washed over me as tears blurred my vision for a second. No, I wouldn't let a mere memory ruin the only chances I had to get the real thing back. I wouldn't fail, even if that meant forgetting everything I once cherished.

The lock clicked open and noiselessly slid into the palm of my open hand. I carefully put the lock on the floor and opened the old metal door to the third level.

From here, the squirming paths that led to cells everywhere were like a children's game for me. As if mechanically, my feet dragged me left, straight up, right and towards the back. A couple cells before the fourth level, I spotted Sheik's limp figure illuminated by the dim torchlight. Yet again, his head was hanging over his naked torso, and his chest rose rhythmically. He was apparently asleep.

I quickly grabbed the keys from a bunch of extras on the walls and slid them into the lock. Guess these Labyrennians will never learn, will they?

After opening the lock and opening the door with a creak, I moved inside and closed the door behind me. It might be risky, but it might also save me from being discovered. After making sure the lock still looked closed from in the darkness, I turned to Sheik and ran, dropping next to him.

"Hey Sheik!" I whispered. He didn't move. Poor guy looked exhausted. "Yo Sheik, wake up!" I repeated, gently poking his arm.

He didn't budge. Simply kept sleeping. Makes me wonder if they got sedatives in whatever scrap they give him to eat or something. Anyway.

"Sheik, wake up dammit!" I growled, pinching his cheek. Still sleeping.

Okay, it's official, they're using sedatives.

"Dammit…" I whispered, frowning in deep thought. "What can I do to wake you up?" I mused out loud.

The thought struck me like a lightning bolt as my eyes travelled down his wounded torso. Bingo.

"The almighty Sheik, strongest of the Sheikah, warrior of the shadows…" I smirked evilly, reaching out to his stomach. "Being woken up…" I smirked again, bringing my second hand there too. "By some random Queen tickling him!" I ended with a small laugh as my fingers started frantically poking his belly.

Twitch, twitch…

"AAAAH!"

I dropped back, surprised. Hearing the distant yells and clanking of armour, I gasped and quickly dropped into a corner of the cell, huddled up in the shadows. A mere minute later, a guard appeared in front of the cell and grunted.

"Stop making so much noise, rat!" the guard ordered. I gasped, shrinking. I couldn't let him see me.

"I don't have…" Sheik lifted his head weakly. "The freedom of expressing my pain now…" he glared murderously at the guard, who raised a brow. "Is that what you're implying?" he asked arrogantly.

"Fool." The guard spat in front of his cell. "You'll see, soon enough, we'll extinguish that rebellious fire in your eyes and squash you like the mere insect you are. By disrespecting the rules, you are only shortening your life." He glared at him, then walked away. "Now shut up before I call someone to give you a whipping." I heard distantly as a door opened and slammed shut.

We both stayed silent for a moment, then I slid out of the shadows. Sheik immediately turned to me, glaring harshly, but then his eyes softened.

"Zelda…" he called weakly.

"It's okay Sheik. Hang on." I quickly shuffled next to him and uncorked the bottle of blue potion I had with me. Quickly putting it up to his mouth, I helped him drink it entirely before hooking it to my pants again.

"Any particular reason why you chose the spot with the biggest wound on it to tickle me?" he raised a brow.

"What? What else could I do if you were under sedatives?" I shrugged innocently.

"Sedatives…" he frowned, then looked up at me. " So… Any reason why I'm blessed with your presence, your Majesty?" he smirked sarcastically. Wow, the guard was right. No matter what they did to him, he still had that rebellious fire in him. And I doubt they'd get rid of it that easily.

"No, not really. Just wanted to change my ideas a bit…" I sighed.

"In a stinky hole in the middle of nowhere?" Sheik's nose crinkled. "You got SOME sense of relaxation your Majesty." He rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Shut up, at least I don't stay here all day long." I laughed lightly. He laughed along too, but I heard a forced tone in his voice. It was faint, but it was there. I decided to drop the subject.

"So…" he sobered again. "How's Tetra? And Nami?" he asked, worried.

"Oh yeah… Nami…" I sighed. I guess in the darkness he couldn't discern my expression, because I heard his shackles rattling as he moved his feet to turn towards me.

"What happened to her?" he asked urgently.

"Nothing happened!" I comforted him.

"Then what's with the guarded tone?" he inquired curiously.

"Oh that. Well, the other day, when I was discovered with you, the guards decided to punish me, but instead of hurting me directly, they decided to hurt someone I loved so that I wouldn't repeat the 'mistake' again." I started. I saw his brows furrow, probably wondering what I was getting to.

"And…?" he asked, catching up.

"At first, they asked for one of the kids, any one of them. But Tetra and I refused. One of them was holding me captive, so the other one went and punched out Tetra…"

"Those bastards…" Sheik growled. "THOSE BASTARDS!" he screamed, enraged. Breathing heavily, he forced himself to calm down and looked at me. "Then…?"

"After Tetra was knocked out, they chose Nami to pick on…"

"If they touched a single hair on her head, tell me so I can break their necks one by one." He growled. I put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down and realised he was trembling all over in immense anger... and fear?

"Well, at first, she evaded them pretty well using her Sheikah techniques…" I remembered.

"That's my girl…" Sheik smiled sadly, and the shuddering stopped.

"But then the guard caught up to her and grabbed her roughly and threw her on my bed, then threatened her with his sword, and…"

"THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS DARED TO TOUCH HER!!??" he screamed out, his body glowing an ominous blue in the darkness. I gasped and quickly ducked on the ground just as he unleashed a wave of destructive magic that passed right over my head. Once finished, I stood up shakily and looked at him. He was no longer facing me, but his head was hanging over his chest, his body overcome by silent trembles.

"But that's when Roxas came in and unleashed a wave of energy like you did and knocked the guards out before they could hurt anyone else." I quickly filled in.

Sniffling, he looked up at me with a proud smile. "Thank Din…" he whispered through the tears that were running down his cheeks.

"After Tetra woke up a couple minutes later, we realised that the kids' secrets were too big to bear, and that if the guards told Veran and Onox, the kids would surely have been disposed of…" I shuddered at the thought. Sheik's attention snapped back at me immediately. "So we decided to send the kids to Termina with Aryll, where they'd be safe with Malon, Anju and the rest." I finished.

"Did they…?"

"They made it. Tired, a bit wounded and dirty, but they made it safely. Aryll said your daughter was remarkable with her Sheikah abilities when we last talked to them on the phone about an hour ago." I smiled and moved a strand of hair out of his face.

"Thank the Goddesses… Dear Nayru, Din and Farore, Thank you…" he silently made a quick prayer to the Hylian deities, then turned back to me. "Thank you, Zelda. Thank you so much…" he smiled.

"Anything for you and Link…" I smiled, caressing his dirty and tangled hair.

"Oh, speaking of Link!" he suddenly remembered.

"What!?" I jumped in surprise.

"Hey, about a day ago, I finally made contact with Link!" he nodded with a smile.

"Dear Goddesses..." I gasped. "What did he say? Did he say where he was? How they were treating him?" I pummelled him with questions.

"Relax, relax." He chuckled. "He said he feels confused, and when I talked to him, he sounded tired. He said it's all dark around him, and they don't even have torches or light bulbs around. And... well, he said he didn't know where he was, cuz his head hurt, and the darkness was unnerving. He also said his limbs hurt, because he was pretty sure he had stayed chained in the same position for more than just a couple of days. And... Yeah, that's about all he said before we suddenly got cut off." He reminisced.

"Oh..." I frowned, disappointed. "He didn't say anything else?" I asked, feeling tears fill my eyes.

"Oh wait. Actually, he did say something about 'revenge' or something, but that was just a whisper before we got cut off..." he mused out loud.

"And... nothing about me?" I asked, disappointed.

"Oh, of course, how could I have forgotten?" he gave a short laugh. "He kept asking if I'd seen you, or if you were okay, or if the kids were okay. Even when I told him you'd sneaked in to see me and updated me on everything, he asked me to confirm again and again." He laughed shortly.

I couldn't help but chuckle along, even though my mind was still on Link. Link... Dear Goddesses, I promise, love, I will come for you. Whenever I get the chance, I will come. And I promise it, I cross it over my heart, I won't leave you to suffer under those tyrants' iron grip.

My thoughts about Link were broken when the heavy door of the third level swung open and I heard the clanking of metal and the gruff shouts of guards.

"You'd better get going." Sheik smiled sadly.

No. I didn't wanna go. Not this time. I wouldn't be as weak as to give in every time I was confronted with an obstacle.

"I'm staying." I growled lowly as the shouts came closer.

"And... Do you intend to knock those guards out with your nonexistent karate skills?" he chuckled sarcastically.

"No... I'm not gonna run..." I toughened up and took a deep breath, steeling myself as I heard the guards turning the corner. "I'm gonna hide." I quickly breathed, rolling away from Sheik, ducking in the shadows of a nearby pillar just as the guards slid to a stop in front of the cell.

"Not gonna run alright." I heard Sheik mutter lowly as a guard checked the lock.

"It's open!" he exclaimed.

"I told you she came here!" the other one exclaimed.

"May I know what you gentlemen are talking about?" Sheik inquired.

"Shut up, rat." The first guard opened the door and stepped inside. "Tell us. Did the Queen come here?" he asked in all seriousness.

"Queen?" Sheik inquired innocently. That's when the second one stepped in and pointed a leather whip at his face. He bore the guard's glare coolly.

"Don't play innocent with us, fool. We can see you've healed all over, she definitely came here." He noted.

"Fine, you got me." He shrugged, and moved in a more comfortable position. From my corner, I shifted slightly and curled up tighter in the shadows.

"Tell us where she went, scum, and maybe we'll spare you." The first one nudged him none-too-gently with his armoured foot.

"Well, you certainly notice the details." Sheik smirked.

"Don't screw with us. Tell us exactly where she is if you don't want to be in pain for the next twelve hours." The guard threatened, lashing out in the air with a snapping sound. I saw Sheik flinch slightly, but compose himself right after.

"Okay, well, she came here about an hour ago, then she left. Last time I checked, she was heading to the kitchen for a snack." He pretended to think deep.

"How do we know you're not lying?" the first one asked, raising a brow.

"Do you want a lead, or do you wanna search the castle idly?" Sheik asked rhetorically.

The guards seemed to ponder for a while, then looked back at him.

"You sure you're not lying?" one of them asked suspiciously.

"Do I look like I'm lying?" Sheik asked annoyingly, the anger mounting in his voice.

"Respect, kid." The one closest to him kicked him distastefully, then took out a walkie-talkie and turned it on. After tampering with it for a while, he turned it on and pushed on the button.

"Kitchen team please." He grunted into the walkie-talkie. They waited for a while, then an equally gruff voice replied in the radio.

"Dungeon team, come in. Kitchen team here. What is it?" the voice asked.

"Did you find that wench in the kitchens?" the guard asked. I shrunk even more in my place, wondering what they would do when they got the answer.

"No. We looked everywhere, she's not there." The voice replied.

"WELL LOOK HARDER!" Sheik yelled out, panicked.

"Shut up!" the guard harshly kicked his face in my direction and I gasped. He cringed and chewed a bit to relieve the pain in his jaw and shot me a discrete look before turning back to the guards and facing them bravely.

"Okay, I think I got a hint. Keep looking." He ordered, then turned it off and switched to Sheik. "Liar." He accused in a cold tone.

"I swear, those incompetent guards just can't do their job right!" Sheik shrugged, though I could hear rising panic in his voice.

"Respect your Masters, rat, or you shall suffer the consequences." He snapped. The second one took a step forward and winded up for a lash with the whip. I closed my eyes and gasped softly, not wanting to see what happened when Sheik gave out a short scream of pain. Dear Goddesses, dear Goddesses, dear Goddesses...

"I will respect none of you tyrants. Go and tell your cowardly leaders that we will dethrone them. Long live Prince Link and Queen Zelda, the rightful owners of the Throne of Hyrule!" he glared murderously at them.

I gasped, first of all at his devotion and courage, then because by the corner of my teary eyes, I saw a whip lash down at him and I heard him grunt in pain. What am I doing? Sitting here and pitying him while he's getting beaten because of me! If he just told them I was here, they'd stop hurting him, right? If I just left my place, they'd be satisfied that they'd found me and leave him alone, right?

But despite those ideas thundering and bouncing in my head, I stayed immobile, frozen in horror and shock.

Closing my eyes, I unwillingly let my imagination be fuelled by the sounds that I heard, mainly the shifting of armour, the lashing of leather on skin, and mostly, gasps, grunts and whimpers of pain.

"Don't ever speak their name again." The first guard coldly ordered, kicking his side before turning around and leaving.

"I will... speak the names... of my true leaders... at will..." Sheik gasped, panting.

"Do what you want, I don't know why Lord Onox still keeps you alive." The second one shrugged carelessly and kneeled, putting a hand firmly around Sheik's neck and dragging him up.

I peeked out from a corner, watching helplessly as the guard lifted Sheik up easily, squeezing his neck, making him choke. Sheik coughed, and I heard the chains on his ankles weakly rattling as he struggled, unable to pry free because of the fixed chains binding his wrists to the wall. Dear Nayru... Stop it, please! I beg of you, stop it! Tears blurred my vision as I brought a hand up to my mouth to muffle a gasp.

"Where's that little wench?" the guard demanded in a guarded tone.

"I... don't know..." Sheik wheezed, coughing even more when the guard squeezed tighter on his neck.

"You do know, and you will tell if you wish to breathe a moment longer." The guard threatened.

Sheik coughed, gagging and desperately trying to breathe. Right before I sprung out of my place to denounce myself and save him from more pain, he coughed out.

"She... headed deeper into the dungeons... To find His Majesty... Prince Link..." he wheezed out, sighing in relief when the guard let him slide and crash again the ground. He just laid there, breathing heavily, his chest frantically moving up and down, trying to catch up on the air he missed.

"See? When you want to, you can do anything..." the guard said in a fake caring tone, exiting his cell without a second glance. "Dielan, gear up, we're heading deeper into the dungeons." He called to the other guard who had already disappeared.

"Kay." Came the close reply as the two of them locked Sheik's cell and proceeded to level four.

I stayed silent for a moment, frozen in horror. My eyes were glued to Sheik's broken form as he desperately tried breathing normally.

Slowly, very slowly, I crawled out of my hiding spot, breathing shakily as I eyed him. He shakily rose and weakly pushed himself against the wall, no thanks to his chained arms over his head.

Slowly, I crawled to his left side and put a hand on his right cheek. It was sweaty and teary, but I took it nonetheless and slowly tilted his head to face me. But his eyes were closed, tears running down nonetheless, and his lips were trembling, desperately trying to muffle sobs that were occasionally escaping them.

"I'm sorry you had to see that..." he finally whispered out, his eyes half-opening to look at me wearily.

"No..." I mouthed, no sound escaping my lips. I slowly shook my head, and gradually, the shaking became much faster, until my vision was blurry from tears. "No..." I finally whispered, looking at his bloodied body.

I knew that these Labyrennian assholes were hurting them. I knew that these douche bags were torturing them every single day. I just never imagined it was this bad. I didn't think that every day, both Link and Sheik went to a disturbed sleep, decorated with whip marks and bruises, desperately wondering how the luckier members of their family were doing when they should be concentrating on their own well-being. I didn't know... Ignorance really IS bliss...

Slowly, I cupped his other cheek, feeling icy tears run down mine. My lips parted in a gasp, and I slowly articulated his name. Faster and faster, until I whispered it out and the world broke down.

"Sheik..."

And I broke out in a full-fledged sob, crying none-too-softly. My hands circled around him, and I drew him into a tight hug, careful not to hurt his newly made wounds. I dug my face in his shoulder, and I felt him snuggle against my neck. As I wet his shoulder with icy tears, I felt icy drops of water roll off my neck.

If I could, I'd stay here forever. I wish I could find Link and do the same for him. But I don't know where he is, or even if he's in the castle dungeons. But since I don't have Link right now, at least I could comfort someone else who needs it just as much.

I don't know how long I held my best friend in my arms, but it was worth it. I could wait forever. If it was all to take his pain away, I'd do anything.

When he finally pulled away, I could see him trying to blink his remaining tears away, since he couldn't wipe them. I took the liberty to do it for him and wiped his tears away with my finger. He smiled sadly and turned to me.

"Thanks..."

"Anything for a friend who has suffered so much because of me..." I sighed out sadly.

"It's not your fault..." he comforted me, grunting as he moved in a better position.

"I wish I could've been stronger..." I turned my gaze away from his broken body, ashamed that I'd let all of this happen.

"It's okay." He nodded. I stayed silent.

"Hey Sheik?" I suddenly turned back to him. "Why are you so loyal to Link and I?" I asked.

"What a question!" he jumped slightly, startled. "I'm loyal because you guys aren't tyrants. You guys are the rightful rulers of Hyrule, and you're my friends! Because I know that I will never be at peace, knowing that a stranger is ruling our beautiful land of Hyrule. Because I know that this damned war will end when you guys get back on the Throne." He smiled.

"But... I mean... You could've been loyal to Onox... You could have switched sides... And none of this would have happened... Even if you had just been a double-agent, you could have spared yourself the pain…" I sniffled.

"Zelda, look at me." He ordered. I looked up at him and sniffled again. "You know almost better than anyone that I'd rather die a prisoner, loyal to you, than live on as a traitor to you. I want Onox and Veran to KNOW that I will NEVER turn my back on my true leaders, and I want them to realize that the people of Hyrule aren't as weak-spirited as they originally thought." He simply explained.

I stayed silent, pondering over his words. If everyone in the castle was stuck in the dungeons, like him, did that mean they were all loyal to Link and I? Did that mean that they believed in me? Did that mean that they believed I could restore the true power to the Throne and free them all?

The conclusion hit me immediately.

Yes, they did. They did believe that I could pull it off. And they did believe that no matter how hard the times, their leaders would rise up to help them cross the barrier.

"Thanks…" I whispered.

"You'd better get going now." he advised.

"I will…" I hugged him briefly once more, then got up. "I promise, Sheik. No matter what happens, I will come back to see you. Keep in touch with Link for me, okay? And tell him I love him, and also tell him that I sent Roxas and Kairi to Termina with Aryll and Naminé. Let the kids be off his conscience. He already has a lot to worry about…" I sighed, a wave of nostalgia washing over me. "And tell him I'm alright, and that I'm coming to get him. No matter what, I'm coming to look for him." I nodded, and with one last glance, I turned to the locked door. Taking out the extra key I had with me, I unlocked myself from inside and stepped outside.

"Zelda?"

I immediately whipped around.

"Yes Sheik?"

"Tell Tetra I love her, and that I want her to be strong, and live on without worrying about me."

"…I will, Sheik… I will…"

And with that, I locked the door with a swift click, hung the keys on the wall and ran off, tears streaming down my eyes as I headed for my secret passage.

---

I didn't return to my room. That would've seemed too suspicious, so instead, I opted to go to the kitchens, just as Sheik had lied.

Taking the small passage that lead down again, I ended up in the cold room. Outside, I could hear distant noises of guards shuffling and grunting commands, but I ignored them and grabbed the closest box of muffins. Then, taking a deep breath, I stood up and exited the huge cold room.

There were no guards outside, but I casually walked through the door that led me to where they were huddled up, probably discussing the locations where I could be.

"There she is!" one of them finally spotted me, and after a split second of silence, all of the Labyrennian freaks almost jumped to my side. The leader roughly grabbed my arm and pinned me to the wall. I clutched my muffin box tighter to relieve the pain and anger flaring from me.

"There you are, wench." He smirked.

"You were looking for me?" I raised a brow.

"Don't play innocent with us." He twisted my arm slightly.

"I'm not playing innocent! Can't a mother ever go get dessert for her children nowadays?" I asked sarcastically, putting up the box of muffins up. Nice thinking, Zel!

"Oh…" most of the guards shuffled and looked uneasy, but the leader stayed firm.

"Then explain exactly why that bastard you love so much, who is in the dungeons, was found healed yet again?" he asked rhetorically.

"Okay, fine, so you got me, who cares?" I shrugged. "I passed down from the dungeons while I was at it, and threw Sheik a potion, then continued down the dungeons to try and find Link. When I got to the fifth level, I still hadn't found him, and I heard guards coming after me, so I hid in a corner until they passed, then ran back to the kitchens, where I grabbed _the entire purpose of this escapade_ and left, encountering you guys here. Now, I'm pinned to the wall with a box of harmless muffins in my hand and telling you a story which doesn't even concern you." I lied smoothly. Nayru, I'm so good at this!

"Still, you disobeyed a direct rule from your King Onox and Queen Veran, even if it was just for a second, and you shall be punished for it." He grunted, and pulled me off the wall, 'kindly' escorting me back to my room.

I wonder who they'll hurt this time.

---

Tetra gasped as I stumbled inside the room with a half-crushed box of muffins in my hand.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded. "You were gone for so long!" she gritted her teeth.

"Shush, please stay quiet, we have to make believe the kids aren't here so that none of them will be chosen to be punished and they won't find out they're gone." I whispered through my teeth.

She was about to reply when the guard walked in. We both straightened and glared at him murderously.

But he didn't seem like he was about to use sarcasm as he always did. I stiffened, wondering where he was getting to.

The guard stood straight and cleared his throat. To our immense horror, he pronounced the dreaded words.

"Announcing our Lord and ruler, King Onox Ranytt of Labyrennu, Conqueror of Koholint and Hyrule. Stand up for His Majesty."

Frozen in horror and disgust at his second title, Tetra and I stood on the bed, motionless, even as Onox's imposing figure entered. He was at least a head taller than both of us, and since we were sitting, we looked up at him while he loomed down over us.

"So I hear Queenie wants to play Hero?"

Gaping, I didn't answer, instinctively tightening my grip on Tetra's hand.

"And she thinks she can defy her new ruler as she likes?"

Sheik's words bonged in my head. He said he'd rather endure pain all day long than submit himself to these monsters. Why should I be any different? Gulping down, I let go of Tetra's hand and stood up. I heard Tetra gasp and brush my hand with her own, warning me. But I ignored it, fixing Onox in the eyes.

"You will never be my ruler."

A tense silence stretched between us. I still looked slightly up at him while he disdainfully looked down at me.

"Respect your King."

"You are not my King, and you will never be." I coolly replied.

Onox glared harshly at me, and suddenly grabbed my arm, twisting it behind me, also pulling me towards him at the same time. I gasped in pain, trying to pull as far away from his disgusting presence as possible. I also heard Tetra call my name softly, worried.

"Shut it, wench." Onox quickly snapped her mouth shut. She shrunk down and looked at me worriedly. "Now. Zelda, my dear." He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"Don't touch me, you freak." I broke away from him.

"Ran out of insults, dear?" Onox laughed without humour, his second hand travelling to my neck. Before I knew it, he was holding me up by my neck. Pulling, he easily dragged me off the ground.

I screamed. Harsh and loud, I screamed, bringing my hands up to try and pry his hands off of my throat so I could breathe. I coughed and gagged, my feet dangling about five inches off the ground as I desperately tried to break free.

"Let her go!" I heard Tetra scream, and from the corner of my eye, I saw her grab Onox's arm and pull.

"Foolish girls." The latter laughed as if it was nothing and squeezed my neck harder. I coughed harder, and tears started streaming down my cheeks. Gritting my teeth, I whimpered.

"Oh, you like it, don't you?" Onox laughed harshly. "If you repeat your mistake again, I'll give you something to whimper for." He leaned in close and whispered it in my ear.

"Let… Me… GO!" I screamed, lapsing into a coughing fit right after that.

"I will." Onox simply stated, gently putting me back down on my feet. I doubled over, coughing. "But remember. Next time, I might not be so forgiving." He narrowed his eyes at me, and within a second, he lashed his hand out, violently pushing me on my bed. I fell back, immediately feeling Tetra's arms around me and her voice frantically making sure I was alright. From the corner of my teary eyes, I saw Onox turn around with a satisfied smile, then leave without a second glance.

And I broke down crying. Tetra gently lifted me up into her lap and caressed my hair as I tried calming down. My tense breathing was sometimes disrupted by a cough, but slowly, I calmed down, and finally sunk into a restless sleep in Tetra's comforting arms.

_***********************_

_Something's getting in the way,_

_Something's just about to break,_

_I still try to find my place, _

_In the Diary of Jane._

_As I burn another page,_

_As I look the other way,_

_I still try to find my place,_

_In the Diary of Jane._

_~Sheik's Theme (Diary of Jane- Breaking Benjamin)_

**------------**

**Author Notes:**

**Yay, kickass theme =D Perfect for Sheik =3**

**"I won't run, I'll hide." Wow Zelda. Just... Wow. Nice job, you idiot, nice job...**

**Sedatives =D Why am I happy about it? O_O I thought of tickling Sheik, but Zelda wouldn't do that unless there was a real reason... So... xD**

**Vewwy cute Zelda/Sheik centered chapter =) I personally loved it =) I dunno about you, what do you think?**

**Next posting date: Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 (though I think we're out of town that day... I'm not sure O_o) Lol, before editing this, I wrote Tuesday, July 4th! xDDD**

**PLEASE REVIEW! =D**


	9. Enter random mercenary

**Author Notes:**

**Last update I make in Armenia =D Lol, by the way, Link's Bro, this is the chapter with the song you showed me. I knew it a long time ago, though ;P**

**NEW CHAPTER YES! =D**

**Okay then, awwkwaaard -_- Anyway, the first part is a poem explaining the MAJORLY HUGE time skip I did here (what, a war doesn't last for 2 weeks, ya know). To understand it well, read it out loud, or at least pronounce the words in your mind out clear, or the rhymes won't be very clear to you. Oh, and by the way, if you prounce war like [war] and not [wor], the first rhyme won't work for ya.**

**Second section is a diary entry from Zelda. She's not writing it, and no one's reading it either. The chapter just felt long enough as it was *coughcoughJLRchapter7was17000wordslong* so I shortened it by making a diary entry she previously wrote.**

**And the third part is the normal flow as you guys know it. Anyway, hope you like it, MAJOR PLOT TURNING POINT ALERT! And enter a new character =)**

**------------------**

_They fall in line, o__ne at a time,_

_Ready to play, _

_I can't see them anyway._

_No time to lose, w__e got to move,_

_Steady your helm, _

_I am losing sight again._

_Fire your guns, it's time to run,_

_Blow me away, _

_I will stay unless I may,_

_After the fall, we'll shake it off,_

_Show me the way..._

_*********************_

Time passed. Days turned into weeks… Weeks turned into months…

Months, composed of maddening weeks, days filled with anguish and nights filled with nightmares.

Six months.

Six months since the beginning of the war.

Six months where all hope was torn.

Six months seem like seven years when you live in captivity.

Six months alone, when you know your love is suffering, seem like an eternity.

Six months seem like the beginning of the end.

…

Six months are the perfect time to plan revenge.

---

Dear Diary,

Two weeks after Tetra and I sent the kids to Termina, the guards found it suspicious that they didn't find any kids around when they came in. Tetra and I held them off for two weeks more, until they searched the place and realized the kids were gone.

Veran and Onox were infuriated that they had let the only heirs to the Throne of Hyrule get away and made our lives more miserable than ever. Onox demanded to post a guard in my antechambers as, well, since I fought with him to remove the idea of guards in my room and barely won.

As a result, it was harder for me to sneak out to go see Sheik. It required a complicated and terrifying jump out of my balcony, into the waterway, where I found another secret passage. The trip was long and tiring, and I often passed by Sheik's cell to give him the news, get some, and had to run off already. Never had I gotten time to actually walk into the cell and spend time with him. Onox had threatened to kill Link in front of my eyes if I ever met Sheik again.

I explained that to him, and felt guilty when he told me I shouldn't come by to see him anymore, or even if I came for a couple minutes, I should restrain myself from using potions. It killed me to see him in such a broken state, and knowing I could change it, I just stood there for a few minutes, then ran back. I'd run back to the waterway, and Tetra had to haul me back up my balcony with a rope. Because of that, I only passed to see Sheik once every two weeks, once a month, even.

But you know what, Diary?

I had six months. Six months to think of a way to end it all. And I finally came up with a way. Why I hadn't thought of it before? I don't know. My mind was too concentrated on trying to get news from Sheik about Link and playing messenger all month long. And I needed a good full month for preparations, too. But six months have steeled me. Every night, I cried at the beginning. Towards the end, I had a determined glare when I closed my eyes for the day.

I found my Courage, and I found my Wisdom. And I devised a plan. Would you care to listen to it, Diary? It might sound simple, but considering the amount of security in the castle, it won't be.

Recently, I've made a quick trip to Castle Town, disguised as a beggar, to see the state my people were in.

Nauseating.

One word for it. Nauseating.

I felt like I wanted to puke. As soon as I laid my eyes on the dirty cobblestone streets of Main Avenue, I realized that everything had changed. Cars didn't pass anymore, and everything was silent. Only a few people walked on the streets, and they were awfully silent, if not whispering. A lot of buildings were burnt down and destroyed. I felt like I was in a horror movie, like one of those creepy ReDeads would jump out from somewhere and bite me.

Nonetheless, I continued towards the Eastern Alley and Eastern Square of Castle Town Park.

And that's where most of the people were huddled up in tents, makeshift houses and some occasional buildings that were half-destroyed. Mothers held their children in their arms and tried to comfort them. The kids were huddled in one corner and talking to each other in whispers. The elders were sitting in another part of the Eastern Square and shaking heads at the kids. No one smiled.

I felt guilty. Guilty that as the real ruler of the country, I let all this happen. This only fuelled my desire to fix everything.

Anyway, I also came for my own purpose. So I headed to the back and took a turn on Southern Avenue. Most of the shops were located here, and even though they were all closed, I headed for an Archery Range shop and opened the door. Gulping down, I walked in.

This is where _he_ would be waiting for me. I didn't know who it was, and I still don't, but in a previous private phone call, I had asked Malon from Termina to send me a bottle of metal-melting acid. She'd looked for some for weeks, but when she finally did find some, she tried to find a way to send it to me without getting the package checked by the Labyrennians.

So she hired a mercenary. Yes, mercenaries still exist. Apparently. Anyway, this mercenary was supposed to deliver this package all the way from Termina to here. So anyway, at first, I felt a tip of a blade against my neck and raised my hands. A dark voice asked me who I was, and I pulled down my hood. The cloaked guy apparently recognized my description because he put his weapon down and gave me a package. I gave him the money (3000 rupees. Let's see if it was worth it) and asked him his name. He just said "My name is nonexistent. I am a being of darkness, a hunter in the shadows. But if you require my help again, fair ruler of Hyrule, all you do is send for Oni."

And he disappeared. In a flash, he was gone. I remember his words perfectly. Oni, eh? Demon… Guess that's his nickname or something. Now I have an ally in the shadows too. That's comforting to know.

In any case, I hurried back to the castle. And Tetra quickly hauled me up the balcony. I took a shower and hid my cloak under a drawer of clothes, also hiding the small package containing the bottle of acid under my bed sheets.

And… yeah… Now, I dressed up in a black 3/4 sleeved shirt and black tights, with a knee-length black skirt that is open enough to let me run at full speed, with black running shoes. I also got black fingerless gauntlets. Damn blond hair. The least I could do was pull it up in a ponytail and hope it wouldn't be seen too much.

And guess what? When I opened the package, I didn't just find a bottle of acid in it.

I found a gun.

With a note attached. Here, I'll copy it down:

"Dearest Queen Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule,

I am aware of the situation. And I wish to help. But you will not be able to do it alone. I am still roaming around the castle, in case you might need help. But I will remain unseen. Here is a proof of my presence that you_ can_ see. I wish you luck in your plan to save your husband and friend. The fate of Hyrule rests in your hands, your Majesty. May the Goddesses watch over you, just as I am watching you right now.

~Oni."

It was a bit creepy at first and I wondered if the guy was either a stalker or one of Onox's spies. Who else could know of my plans? I hadn't even told Malon! So I looked around, but even from outside the windows, I could see no one. In any case, I strapped the gun and holster to my right thigh with the belt that came with it and used my skirt to cover over it. I also grabbed a clip and clipped the bottle of acid to my pants. Along with three bottles of potions, just in case, a flashlight strapped to my left thigh and a knife in its sheath strapped under my right forearm, my preparations were complete.

Anyway, I gotta go. It's 11 PM, and I have to get to bed before the guard makes his nightly round, about around midnight. After that, it's go time.

Thanks for listening, Diary. Sometimes, I feel like you're the only one who understands me. Anyway.

Wish me luck. The Holy Three know I need it.

~Zelda

---

Midnight.

I slowed my breaths, even if I felt like quickening them. Quick breaths didn't come during someone's sleep. Okay shush!

I kept my eyes closed, only listening. The door slowly creaked open, and a light clanking of metal reached my ears. I deepened my breaths, not moving an inch.

Soon, I felt someone touching my cheek. Slowly shifting, I turned my head into the hand cupping my cheek.

"Hmm… Yes, I'd like some strawberries, Link…" I muttered in a whisper, shifting again at that. Keep up the act, Zelda.

I heard some chuckling, then the hand came off my cheek, letting my head drop. I didn't freeze, but let my head drop as a sleeping person would have unconsciously done.

A minute later, I felt Tetra shuffling next to me as well. Yes, so we shared a bed. Sue me. It was just to keep us closer, make sure the guards wouldn't try anything… funny… and also because as partners in crime, we needed to be close as not to arouse suspicion.

And about ten minutes later, I heard the creaking of the wooden floor and the slight clanking of metal and the door squeaked again and snapped shut.

My eyes flew open. My gaze directly went to the clock. Quarter past midnight. At half past midnight, it's go time.

I could hardly wait. One part of me was dreading the plan, scared, and cowering. But the other part, the part I fuelled, was excited, even though a bit scared, but jumpy nonetheless.

I waited. Counted down the minutes. And when the clock finally switched from 12:29 to 12:30, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting in the darkness and silence, I quietly pushed my covers off and shook Tetra. She also got up, blinked, and smiled at me, nodding.

While she slipped towards the door, I made my way to my closet. Opening it, and digging deep behind the dresses that were hung, I grabbed some pillows and blankets, as well as a blond wig and a soccer ball I'd painted in a peachy skin colour a couple weeks ago. Yes, so I've been planning this night for over a month now. Sue me if you will, but after I pull this stunt off.

Smirking, I headed for the bed quietly and put all the pillows under my covers, fluffing them to give them some volume. Also arranging the extra blankets in different shapes, I finished by covering the entire thing by my main cover. Then, I fluffed my pillow and smashed my soccer ball in it as to make a crater the size of the ball. Taking the wig, I tied the fake blond hair up in a ponytail similar to the one I was supposed to be sleeping with and pushed it over the ball. Then, I scattered the hair all around to make it look like "I" had moved a lot.

And pulling the covers up until the mannequin's "chin", I moved for the balcony. Tetra turned to me and nodded as a signal that the coast was clear. I nodded, shot her a smile, and opened the door to the balcony. She waved a slight goodbye to me, and I wave back before I grabbed the two huge and sturdy rock climbing hooks I'd inserted into the wall yesterday morning. Good thing Link took me rock climbing on Death Mountain often during the summer.

Taking a deep breath, I got up on the railing and inserted the nail into a crack into the wall. I did the same for the other one, and taking a deep breath, I jumped.

Holding myself from screaming, I simply bit my lip and closed my eyes, hoping the nails would hold.

Thankfully, they did. They only moved a little bit, then sustained my weight. Thank Nayru for the dude who invented rock climbing gear. Slowly, I took out the right hook and pinned it in a crack at the level of my chest. I pushed my legs against the wall in a 135 degree angle, and taking hold on the wall, I unhooked the left nail and brought it down. Then, I put my legs down, and repeated the process.

Soon, the balcony was just a square on top of me. Struggling to keep holding to the hooks, I only looked down once to check my destination. A window slightly over the ground. Which is the reason why I didn't jump into the water directly, coupled with the fact that the guards took nightly patrol shifts around the waterway to prevent any "infiltration".

When I finally got down next to the window, I planted the two hooks in the same spot and held on with my right hand. Then, I put my left foot on the border of the window and took hold. With my free left hand, I fumbled on the outside lock. I didn't need to worry about anyone being inside. First of all, this window had been wallpapered with a stone wall design, and from afar, it looked like a wall had been built there, blocking the way inside the window. Of course, it was fake. If you knew how to unlock the window from outside, you could access…

Sighing in relief, I removed the lock and pushed the window up, giving free way to the inside of the secret passage crossroads. I made sure my hooks were well secure on the wall and slid inside.

The reason why I haven't used this before is simple. One, I used to have free access to the secret passage in my antechambers. Two, I didn't feel like risking my life for nothing. Three, I just discovered it a month ago, while I was using the crossroads to get to the other side of the castle to gather the stuff I needed for this mission, and I found a slight crack in the wall, checked it out, and found this window.

Once inside, I jumped down and shut the window. The lock snapped shut automatically from the other side. From there, it was all a piece of cake. I'd done it more than just a few times.

So I ran down the hallway leading to the dungeons.

---

I had to be careful this time. As soon as I pushed the moveable block on the wall, I saw a guard. Guess they had better security at night in the dungeons… Gasping slightly, I retreated, hoping they hadn't seen me. The single guard didn't seem to notice and kept patrolling. Once I was sure he was out of my way, I crawled out, closed the passageway and, pushing myself against the wall, I proceeded to the next door.

I barely had time to push myself against the wall before the door to Level 2 swung open. Holding my breath, I gulped down nervously as a guard nonchalantly walked past me, leaving the door to close on its own. As soon as the guard turned his back, I slid out and slipped into the second level.

Again, I pushed myself against the first wall I saw and listened. Not many guards seemed to be here, because I didn't hear much armour clanking. But, aware that the door could swing open at any given time, I proceeded to walking against the walls.

A couple of guards passed by, some of them stopping at a couple cells, then continuing. I held my breath every time one of them passed in front of me. I wonder if it's that thick helmet they're wearing that makes them half-blind… Hope so…

Not bothering to check who was in the cells, since I was currently working on getting them out all at once, I quickly slid past and got to the third level door. Looking around, I noticed no guards, so, praying that none on the other side were able to see me, I grabbed the knob and slowly opened. While checking on both sides, I slipped in by opening the door as less as possible.

Thankfully, the third level had no guards. Well, no patrolling guards, at least. There was one guard…

Right in front of Sheik's cell. I groaned to myself and rubbed my eyes. Perfect. Not only couldn't I talk to Sheik, but the guard would see me if I tried to sneak past him to get to Level Four.

No way. I'm not stopping at Level Three this time. I'm gonna go find Link. No matter what.

"_Sheik…"_ I thought. Of course, I can't communicate, but I can think. And if he catches onto my train of thoughts, he can hear me. _"Sheik, it's Zelda, hey, are you here?"_ I thought, trying to make the voice in my head as loud as possible.

But something scared me. What if Sheik was under sedatives again? What if he couldn't catch my thoughts, and I would be stuck on Level three? I couldn't do that! I had to get to the seventh and last level! I just had to!

"_Relax, I'm not under sedatives. Can't a man get some sleep around here?"_ suddenly came Sheik's tired, yet arrogant voice.

"_Dear Nayru! Sheik!"_ I almost exclaimed out loud.

"_Yo Zelda. So… Where the hell are you? I can't see you. I hope you're not in the dungeons, there are so many guards patrolling the first three levels! Oh wait… Stupid question, OF COURSE you're in the dungeons…"_ I heard him sigh to himself.

"_So you got me."_ I chuckled internally. _"Hey Sheik, I NEED to get to Level Seven tonight., I have a couple of hours to do it, but I can't get to the door when the guard in front of your cell is looking around him. Please Sheik, can you distract him?"_ I thought.

"… _I'll try."_ Came the unsure response. _"IF you tell me what you're gonna do."_ He demanded.

"_I'm gonna bust you out. Gonna go get Link, then gonna come back for you, and we're gonna make our escape."_ I vaguely explained, reminding me of the plan and telling Sheik about it at the same time.

"_Zelda…"_ Sheik sighed. _"Don't do anything stupi-"_

"_IT'S NOT STUPID!"_ I screamed out in my mind, remembering I couldn't yell it out loud. _"Sheik, listen! Listen to yourself! I remember as if it was yesterday, about half a year ago, you told me you'd do anything to help me save Hyrule from these tyrants' grasp! Why won't you help me now? I NEED your help! I can't do this alone! The people of Hyrule need us to restore the true monarchy and save them from this misery. I went to Castle Town today. The people are dying, Sheik. I saw the mothers' hopeless faces as they idly promised their children that it'll be alright. I heard the few remaining men mutter about the catastrophe that befell them. I listened to the seniors discuss the issue of which Goddess was so mad at them for having given them such a fate. I saw the kids, who weren't playing anymore, afraid, scarred, yet innocent and terrified." _I explained sadly.

"_Zelda… I…"_

"_Please Sheik. If you won't do it for me, if you think, that as my protector, you should let me suffer under those tyrants' grip, if you think YOU should stay and suffer everyday, if you think LINK should stay and suffer every day, then fine, don't help me. But if you want to save us all, and save Hyrule, including all the people who are desperately waiting for a Hero to save them, then please, get me a distraction. Please."_ I pleaded silently.

For a moment, Sheik stayed silent. My mental clock ticked, and I sweated. Yes…? Or… No..?

"_Where are you?"_ he finally asked.

My heart skipped a beat. _"Look across from your cell, diagonally right. See the torch? Travel over the wall of that torch. I'm in the darkness. Look for the glint of a blade."_ I advised him, removing my knife from my arm and holding it in front of me. It glinted faintly, and after a while, I put it away as not to attract attention.

"_Found you. You're dangerous, you know that?"_ Sheik sighed out.

"_I've been given that before."_ I chuckled, smiling to myself.

"_Okay, fine. As soon as the guard turns around, I'll make him come inside my cell with an illusion. You take that chance to sneak past him. You got one shot at this, don't blow it."_ He sighed.

"_Thank you so much Sheik. Not only me, but the people of Hyrule thank you from the bottom of their hearts."_ I smiled.

"_Yea yea, cut the dramatic crap and concentrate on making a run for it."_ I felt him smile.

"_Kay. Go for it."_ I put myself in a starting block position and watched carefully.

At first, I heard nothing. Then, I heard some chains rattling and some whispering. At first, it was faint, then it became a bit stronger. That's when, the guard, intrigued, turned around and looked at Sheik. Gasping, he quickly grabbed the keys on the wall and unlocked the door, running in.

"What do you think you're doing, punk?" the guard demanded.

"What I do?" came Sheik's innocent voice.

"I saw you… There was a hand… giving you a potion… Who's here?" the guard demanded.

"No one's here! Look around if you don't believe me!" Sheik insisted.

"I know someone was here…" I heard the guard mutter.

"_GREEN LIGHT, ZELDA! GO!"_ I heard Sheik's voice in my mind. And I dashed off. Silently, thanks to my padded running shoes, I passed from in front of Sheik's cell at full speed. I only nodded to him briefly, then pressed myself against the opposing wall, continuing on in the darkness.

"_Thanks Sheik…"_ I called once I'd gotten to the other side, and to the next door.

"_Anything for the Queen of Hyrule." _Sheik replied. _"Good luck."_

"_Thanks."_ I simply answered before I silently opened the door and slid in, closing it after me.

---

I'd never actually been after Level three. So it was kinda confusing. The paths kept constantly twisting and turning, and I had to make sure no guards were here. Actually, there was no one in the dirty cells here, so there were obviously no guards either. Either way, I was extra careful when I proceeded to Level Five.

It seemed to get filthier and filthier as I advanced. The drip-drop of dirty water was the only sound accompanying me, along with the faint crawling of bugs and the squeaking of rats. The stench was putrid, and I felt like I was gonna puke. No torches burned here, hence why there were no prisoners, nor guards. Meaning no light either.

This is where my flashlight came in. It was kinda creepy, and my imagination was wildly fuelled by the sounds and darkness. Trembling slightly, I continued walking.

Thankfully, nothing except a couple spiders and bats (BATS!!??) disrupted my "stroll" in this nasty place.

And I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when I finally saw the door labelled "Level 6". Running to it, I grabbed the doorknob and breathed in deep.

It got worse from here on. I could tell. But should I continue? If I go back, I can keep living okay, and hoping that the guys from Termina will send for help or something. One side of me totally respected that decision and encouraged it.

But another part of me, driven by anger, pity and desire to fix everything was calling me. Drawing me deeper into the dungeons, where I hoped to find Link. Telling me to continue on, and that the only person I could trust right now was myself.

So, taking a decision, I gulped down and pushed the door to Level 6 open.

The next room wasn't Level 6, though. It was more like an antechamber for Level 6. Wondering why, I looked around while walking for the other side. The walls were old and mouldy. Dirty water dripped from everywhere, and the ceiling was stained with brown spots of bacterial organisms. Pinching my nose against the smell, I made it to the next door.

This one looked new, though. Like… someone had it replaced… It also had a mechanic lock on it and a speaker.

"Great…" I muttered, wondering what this is all about. As soon as I brought my finger close, the machine reacted and lit up.

"Password please:" Came the voice of a lady.

"What!?" I exclaimed, disappointed. Onox had put a password-coded door here!? Why!? I sighed.

… But on the other hand… If he wanted this protected… Then he probably had what I was looking for on the other side.

So I started thinking of words Onox could use as passwords.

"Hmm… Password…" I muttered out loud, rubbing my forehead.

"Password accepted." The lady suddenly announced, and the door clicked open.

I stayed there, frozen. What? I hadn't said anything yet, all I said was 'What, Hmm and Passwo…'

"Dear Farore." I laughed, swinging the door open. "That asshole chose 'Password' as his password!" I laughed to myself, walking in.

My laughs suddenly stopped, though, as I eyed Level 6. It wasn't a dungeon with cells anymore. It was all dark, but I could make out the circular shape of the room, with a pillar in the middle. Wondering where this was, I walked in, surveying the area with my flashlight.

When I suddenly tripped on something and fell. My flashlight dropped right in front of me. Groaning, I opened my eyes and cringed. Getting up and rubbing my back, I grabbed my flashlight to look on what I had tripped. One part of me was screaming not to do it, but I did it anyway.

And I almost got a heart attack too.

I had tripped on a skull.

Not just any animal skull.

A human skull.

Feeling nauseous and dizzy, I stepped back, hitting something. Switching my flashlight around, I squeaked when I realized I had hit a table with shackles on it.

I didn't need to remember all the medieval movies Link and I had watched together. I knew what this was, and what it was used for.

Suddenly terrified, I quickly held out my flashlight, looking around.

Skeletons hung by chains to the wall. Cages with human skeletons were scattered, hanging from the ceiling. Piles of bones were discarded here and there. Dried puddles of red stained the ground. Nooses, racks, shackles, cages, poles, and many more that I couldn't identify were scattered around the room.

I almost fainted. Dropping onto the ground, I retreated to the closest wall and leaned against it. One hand flew up to my beating heart, and the other shakily surveyed the flashlight around the horrifying room. Tears streamed down my eyes, and I had to make a huge effort not to scream in horror. I started crying. Dropping the flashlight, I curled up and cried. Sobs escaped my locked throat as tears endlessly streamed down my eyes. I wiped them away, just to get flooded with more. Terror welled up within my chest. Why? Why did I ignore the dreaded feeling inside me and why did I still explore further on? Why!?

"I had no idea…" I whimpered out loud. "I had no idea we had a torture chamber under the castle." I sobbed, covering my face with my hands.

But, this castle WAS a medieval structure, after all. Anything was possible. I guess this is one of the horrifying things that medieval inhabitants used. It's terrible, but it's the truth.

My eyes travelled to a corner of the room, where I saw a weapon holder. Unwillingly, I looked at what weapons were there. Some of them were normal weapons, like swords, maces, daggers and stuff, but I noticed a hammer, a whip, a barbed stick and a lot more I couldn't identify because I turned my head away from the sight. Shaking uncontrollably, I wondered when I would wake up from this nightmare.

I spent Nayru-knows-how-much-time in this horrifying room until my cries subsided and I shakily got up, clutching my flashlight as if it was my life. Holding the wall for support, I tested my legs. Shaky, but it would do. I had to find Link. I had to, even more after seeing this room.

So, taking a deep breath, I dashed across the room. I didn't even look around, trying to forget. Something told me it wouldn't be that easy. But I tried nonetheless.

And, not caring if anyone was on the other side of the door or not, I opened the door and slammed it shut.

Once inside, I leaned against the door and drew in a deep breath to stop my trembling body. Once I'd convinced myself that the worst was over, I looked around with my flashlight.

Thankfully, I didn't notice anything special in this hallway. I did notice one thing, though.

A torch. A LIT torch.

Someone was or had been here.

Carefully, I turned off my flashlight and put it back in its place around my left thigh before advancing. Taking the twists and turns, I ended up in an area with cells. The torchlight didn't reach it here, reinforcing my theory, since Link had said that there was no light where they were keeping him. So I took my flashlight back out.

Inside the cells, I could see some of those tables with shackles on them. Shuddering, I looked around. No guards seemed present…

And then I saw one. He was slumped on the floor, probably sleeping, but he was there. No! So close to my goal!

I growled, but walked out nonetheless. There was just one! If I got caught here, I'd just have to shoot or threaten the guard.

I slowly advanced towards the nearest cell to the guard, where OBVIOUSLY, they were keeping the person they were guarding.

… Link?

But as I got closer and closer to the man, I realized something was wrong. Not only did his chest not move, but he looked limp to me. The answer to my silent question was given when I stepped in something with a splash.

I looked down and realized that the puddle I stepped in was red. Following the trail of blood, I realized it was pooling under the guard.

Gasping, I ran for him and touched his hand. Dead cold.

"Oh Goddesses." I shuddered, my imagination acting up again.

Looking around, I put my hand to the gun strapped to my right thigh, just in case someone dangerous was here. But no sound came. No one was here.

"No one…" I sighed sadly, disappointed, looking into the cell. The door was actually busted open, the lock broken. Walking inside, I surveyed the table.

One thing that caught my eye was the blood on the shackles. _Fresh_ blood. Link's blood, obviously.

I cringed in disgust and followed the trails of blood downwards. Large splotches of blood decorated the wooden table, and as I looked under, I realised that the blood had spilled off the corners of the table and had dripped to the floor.

Nauseated, I turned away from the table for a moment, covering my mouth and nose, tears rushing back up my eyes. Was this what they were doing to him? Is this what he's been enduring for so long? Is this the torment he'd been enduring for six months now?

I dropped to my knees and finally threw up. Crying, I threw up everything I ate today. It actually felt like a relief, because a weight was lifted off my chest, replaced by the weight on my consciousness.

Like that time when I'd seen Sheik half-whipped to death in front of my eyes, I didn't know that the treatments were this bad until I saw them in person. And this was just the remnant of those horrible treatments. Imagine what it would be like if I saw what happened with my own eyes.

I'd rather not think about it.

And I didn't have time to, because I heard the distant door to the torture chambers being opened, with someone striding inside. I looked back, gathering my last clues. The liquid blood everywhere proved that it really hadn't been long since Link was taken away….

…or had left on his own…

"I'm telling you…" came the distant voice of a male.

I gasped and rushed out of the cell, almost smashing my body onto a nearby wall just as a guard strode in, talking on his walkie-talkie.

"They're sending me here for nothing." The guard chuckled.

"Just check, you know King Onox. Panics every time someone enters the password to Level six." Another voice replied from inside the radio.

I listened to the conversation and realised that if the body was found and that the cell was found empty, the guard would give the alarm off and everyone in the castle would be on their toes.

Everything would fail.

Not even thinking twice, I jumped out, took out my gun and jumped behind the guard. It wasn't a second later that I twisted my hand, and from behind him, I stuck the barrel of the gun on his forehead. My other hand quickly muffled his scream of terror.

"Do as I say, and I won't harm you." I whispered, switching my normal voice for something more masculine and guarded.

The guard fervently nodded, apparently terrified of me.

"Good boy. Now say 'Duty calls'." I ordered. "Alright?"

The guard nodded again, and I let go of his mouth carefully. He brought the walkie-talkie up shakily and pushed the button.

"Well Jake, duty calls." He half-whimpered into the speaker. I nudged him with my gun, and he cleared his throat. "S-sorry about that, I think I have a cold coming." He made up. "Duty calls, Jake." He corrected in his normal tone.

"Now say goodbye like you always do." I ordered.

"Gotta go, bud. Bye." He called.

"Kay, bye Karl." The voice came from inside the radio.

"So Karl… Turn the radio off and give it to me." I ordered.

The terrified guard nodded and switched his radio off, putting it in my open hand.

"Now, come on here." I pulled him into one of the cells that wasn't busted and pushed him in, closing the door after that. I quickly locked and pointed the gun back at him. "Stay in here, and if I hear a sound from you, I'll make sure you never make one more ever again." I threatened.

"Yes…" he nodded fervently.

"Good. Now. Stay." I threw the radio on the ground and crushed it under my foot. It made a squeaky noise before it died. "Oh, and don't bother calling to your buddy. He was already dead when I came here." I told him, and backed up, still pointing my gun at him.

"Wh-who are you…?" he asked shakily.

"Hmm…" I smirked. "Call me… Shadow." I smirked, then turned around and ran off.

My flashlight must have made a wrong move because the guard gasped.

"M-Miss Z-Zelda!" he stammered, shocked.

Growling, I turned to him and pointed my gun at him. "Shadow to you, rat." I ordered, and, putting my gun back in its place, I ran off.

Well, apparently, one of this mission's targets had already disappeared, so I quickly ran out the door, and back to Level Three for my second target.

Dear Goddesses, I hope nothing goes wrong.

---

The trip up was uneventful. I was just worried on how I'd exit to the Third Level. There was a huge chance that the guard in front of Sheik's cell would spot me.

But, taking the chance, I put one hand to my gun and the other to the knob, turning slowly. Slipping out, I made sure not to make any noise as I clicked the door shut and turned to the guard, who looked semi-asleep to me.

"_Sheik!"_ I called out.

"_Huh…? Zel? What the hell? Can't cha let me sleep?"_ I heard him yawn out.

"_Yea yea. Just wanted to wake you up. I'm busting you out, so be on your toes."_ I ordered.

"_And you plan to do that HOW exactly? The guard will see you in a matter of seconds and I can barely walk."_ he sounded like he was rolling his eyes.

"_Shut up and LISTEN."_ I growled lowly. _"Can you give me a sound isolation spell? For just ten seconds?"_ I asked desperately.

"_I can try…"_ he sighed. _"Man, you're really asking a lot from me."_ He chuckled.

"_Just do it. Please? It's all part of my plan."_

"_So… If I was unable to do so, your plan would have failed? Nice 'planning' you did."_ He answered.

"_Just do it. I had a Plan B."_ I rolled my eyes and waited for Sheik signal. During that time, I slowly took the gun out of its holster and pointed it at the guard. Aiming right in the hole giving on his shoulder behind his armour, I waited.

"_Okay, Zel, it'll hold for approximately fifteen seconds! GO!"_ Sheik suddenly called.

"Good." I finally smirked, taking a shot.

The gun boomed as the bullet travelled to the guard. The guard heard, and didn't have time to reply before he screamed and dropped, probably unconscious. At this rate, dead, even.

"Shield's off!" Sheik called out loud.

"Alright!" I nodded and ran out in the open, unhooking the bottle of acid. Not even bothering to grab the keys, I poured a few drops on the locks, and with a hissing sound, the metal disintegrated.

I quickly swung the door open and made a dash for Sheik.

"What cha got there?" he yawned, curious.

"Acid. I need you to remove your hands as soon as you feel the locks loosen." I ordered, pouring a few drops on his wrist shackles. He pulled, and soon, he broke free, sighing in content.

"Thanks." He closed his eyes in delight, rubbing his wrists to get the blood circulating again. "Seems like forever since I had my arms to myself again." he chuckled.

"You mean they never switched your position? For six months!?" I gasped.

"They gave me occasional breaks, but they always put me back in the same position." He chuckled, confirming.

"Shiiit." I commented, working on his ankle shackles. With another hissing noise, his left shackle snapped off, followed by his right shackle.

He shakily stood up, holding onto me, testing his legs.

"Can you run?" I asked, handing him a blue potion. He thankfully nodded and took it, immediately gulping the entire content.

"It should hold for a short while." He smirked.

"Too bad you won't get the chance."

**XXXXX…..XXXXX**

The two friends had been so busy busting out that they hadn't noticed a bunch of guards running in noiselessly from Level 2. Behind them came the King himself.

"Too bad you won't get the chance to run." Onox repeated, laughing cruelly.

Zelda's grip tightened on Sheik.

"_No! Not now! Not when I'm so close to the goal! Not when I'm almost successful!" _she thought desperately, pushing Sheik against the wall. _"He's still weak. I have to defend him."_ She gulped down confidently and brought her hand clandestinely to her right thigh, ready to draw her gun at any given moment.

"Zelda, I must say." Onox started pacing around. "Your plan was INGENIOUS!" he chuckled. "But you forgot ONE thing." He threw her an evil glare. "I have extra communication chips implanted on ALL my soldiers." He laughed as if it was a joke. "Even if you destroy their radios, they can just push a button on their gauntlet and talk." He stopped pacing and looked at her. "That mistake was your fatal error." He laughed cruelly, advancing for her. "Another mistake was exploring past the door to Level six. Like what you see, Princess?" he laughed.

"You monsters…" Zelda breathed hard, tears rolling down the corner of her eyes. "MONSTER!" she screamed.

"I'm sure your little lover boy enjoyed the time he passed on those racks." He chuckled as if it was a funny joke.

"Sheik…" Zelda slid through her teeth. "Get us OUT of here…" she half-demanded half-pleaded.

"I'm trying, but my Sheikah magic's depleted! I can't do it!" he grunted from behind her.

"Too bad. I should have permanently disabled your magic. Would've saved you the effort." Onox laughed evilly.

"Fuck." Zelda cursed. "Guess it's time for plan B then?" she gulped down and whipped her gun out.

Everyone stopped as she put one hand on the trigger.

"One more step…" she shakily warned. "And I'll pull…" she threatened, trembling with all her might. It was even visible in the semi-darkness they were in, as Onox stepped back for a second, and smirked.

"You also forget. I have an armada. I don't know where you got that gun, but my soldiers outnumber you." He snapped his fingers, and all his soldiers behind him whipped out their weapons.

Zelda looked baffled. Shaking even more now, she made a movement to put her gun down, but put it back up immediately.

"I won't give up." She stammered nervously. "I won't put my weapon down, and I will shoot to free my country, even if it's at the cost of my own life!" she almost screamed.

"Hah. What a joke. Best one I've heard all year." Onox chuckled. "Then go ahead and shoot." He turned around and spread him arms wide. "Go ahead if you dare. Guards, weapons down." He ordered. All the soldiers put their guns back in their holsters. "Take a shot, dear." He taunted.

Zelda trembled. Her finger was on the trigger, and her aim was true, right in the middle of Onox's back. But she couldn't pull. She had never killed before, and even if it was to save her country, she felt like it was… a horrible thing to do. Plus, was she ready to sacrifice her life? Did she feel ready to abandon Link and her kids? After she'd made such a big deal about Link riding off to his semi-certain death? Maybe, just maybe, there was another way out...

Split between shooting and not shooting, she blankly stared at Onox's turned back, trembling in nervousness. Tears started rolling down her cheeks in larger quantities than before.

That's when Onox turned around again, giving a signal for the guards to take their weapons up again.

"See Zelda? You weakling, you couldn't even shoot." He took a step forward. Zelda pushed Sheik against the wall even harder. "You're just pretending now." he took yet another step, slowly but surely getting closer to Zelda.

"Don't take another step." She shakily warned.

"Or what? You'll shoot?" Onox started laughing.

Zelda simply gulped down at that. Onox started walking closer, an evil smile plastered on his face.

_My name is nonexistent... _

A memory bubbled in Zelda's mind.

_I am a being of darkness..._

"You disobeyed me again, Zelda." Onox looked at her in all seriousness.

_A hunter in the shadows..._

Zelda shook slightly, disturbed. What did he want now? What would he do this time?

_But if you require my help again…_

Zelda blinked the tears out of her eyes as Onox slowly forced her to back up against the wall, where Sheik was silently and weakly watching what was happening, his temporary strenght having left him.

_Fair ruler of Hyrule…_

"Who will I punish this time? Maybe I'll kill this beloved boy of yours in front of your eyes?" Onox mused out loud.

_All you do is send for… _

"I like that idea." Onox gave a wry grin and reached out towards Zelda. "Come here so I can feel your blood drip off my fingers." He snarled.

_Oni…_

"ONIIIIIII!" Zelda screamed out loud, crying his name out in utter desperation.

"Oni?" Onox raised a brow, confused. He stepped back to avoid Zelda's punch and stood back, watching her cry.

As for Sheik, he gasped weakly. "Oni!?" he asked, surprised.

They didn't have time to think of it even more because the cloaked shadow hunter of the marketplace appeared from out of the shadows in the cell, looking at Zelda through his hood.

"You sent for me, My Queen?" he asked.

"Please Oni, take Sheik away!" Zelda pleaded.

"Shall I take you away as well, my fair maiden?" he asked, eyeing Onox who was watching them carefully, with a spark of nervousness and worry in his eyes.

"No. I must stay. I must stay with Tetra, I can't leave her alone, and I must stay for my people. I symbolize hope for my country. If I flee, all their remaining hope will crumble." She blinked more tears out of her eyes.

"Very well then, My Lady. I bid you farewell." Oni wished, and, grabbing Sheik, who weakly protested, he disappeared.

"ZELDAAAA!" was the only echo of Sheik's voice that was left before they disappeared in the shadows.

There was a moment of silence, where Onox looked at the spot where yet another one of his prisoners had disappeared, then turned back to Zelda.

"So this was your plan all along, huh?" he asked, calm, yet angry.

"… No. My original plan was to break Link out as well, but… he's not there anymore…" Zelda sighed.

"Well, too bad for you. You've been a bad girl. I should punish you. But what to do with you…" he seemed to think deeply. "I know." He reached back and grabbed the leather whip from a nearby guard's belt. He suddenly lashed out, hitting Zelda's gun. With the weak hold she was offering, the gun easily fell and skidded across the floor.

Onox lunged. Zelda barely slid the hidden knife into her hand to block an incoming lash in time. The knife also fell, and she stepped back, disarmed.

Onox lashed out again. She jumped back and a bit to the left, dodging. Another whipping sound cut through the air as Zelda was forced to jump back again.

"You have amused me for long." Onox smirked, and suddenly lunged, lashing out. Zelda was forced to jump back, and realized why Onox was smirking when she hit the rough surface of the metal bars surrounding the cell.

Zelda pressed herself against the wall and tried shielding herself with her hands. The next lash caught her wrists, the whip tying her wrists. With a satisfied smile, Onox pulled. Losing her balance, Zelda tripped and fell to the ground, vulnerable. The fake King of Hyrule then loosened the whip, getting it off.

"I'll enjoy punishing you, you little, disobeying, disrespectful and ungrateful wench." He laughed cruelly, putting the whip up in the air. Zelda simply looked up, then closed her eyes, simply wondering if Link was okay, wherever he was.

A lashing sound. A scream that reverberated all over the castle. A laugh that echoed in the dungeons. Tears of blood splashing on the ground.

From the little window on top of the cell, a pair of furious, yet powerless blue eyes scoured the horrible scene sorrowfully, then disappeared in the fading darkness of the rising dawn.

_*********************_

_Only the strongest will survive,_

_Lead me to Heaven when we die,_

_I am a shadow on the wall,_

_I'll be the one to save us all._

_~ Oni's Theme (Blow me Away- Breaking Benjamin)_

**-----------------**

**Author Notes:**

***is singing* ONLY THE STRONGEST WILL SURVIVE! LEAD ME TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE! I AM A SHADOW ON THE WALL! I'LL BE THE ONE TO SAVE US ALL!!! BLOW ME AWAAAAAY!!!*stops singing theme song* I mean, seriously, who DOESN'T know this song? *looks at mass of readers who are holding their hands up* Uhh... *sweatdrops* Okay, fine... You guys probably know the song, you just don't recognize the lyrics. It's still an awesome song, though =)**

**I love Oni's introduction =) I love his paragraph about his name, too. Best monologue paragraph I've ever written.**

**I didn't want to use anything like this at first, and just planned on not giving the mercenary a name at all, but then the phrase "If you ever require my help again, fair ruler of Hyrule, all you do is send for *insert name here*." popped into my mind. So I wuz like "Hey, such a nice phrase, okay, I'll make Zelda call *insert name here* again =)"**

**And... Yea, Oni, because first, Demon is a nice cover-up name for a mercenary, and second, I suck at creating names. Proof? Karl and Jake xD**

**And... we'll see in a few chapters why Sheik was so surprised when Zelda called for Oni. I think a lot of you already realized they have something in common, so... *planks mouth with hands* Shit, I gave it out . Oh well. This Oni guy has a LOT of backstory =P We'll see later ^^**

**By the way, I'm really really sorry if you guys don't get review replies. I only reply to questions anymore, because I don't have time to reply to all the reviews X( Thankfully, I'm going back to Montreal in 2 days =3**

**In any case, hope you liked it =) One of my favourite chapters =D**

**So yep.**

**Next posting date: (some day of the week) August 8th, 2009**

**PL3AZ REVIEW!!!! =D**


	10. Letters scotchtaped to my forehead

**Author notes:**

**OH MY GAWD, YOU GUYS! I JUST REALIZED I'D MISSED A CHAPTER! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG IN THE TIMELINE! I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, I DIDN'T REALIZE! O_o**

**Hope you're not too mad at me for forgetting this... I probably spoiled EVERYTHING! I'm a BAD author... You have the right to spank me hard X(**

**Okay then, real author's notes now.**

**Major shocker, Link isn't the one I tortured last chapter! =0 Well, what, Zelda's gotta get a taste of war too ya know -_-**

**Oh well. This is a transition chapter... Not much important things happen here, except a lot of things are cleared up =3 So yea... ENJOY! Oh yeah, random theme =)**

**---------**

_Once there was a child's dream,_

_One night the clock struck twelve, _

_The window open wide..._

_Once there was a child's heart,_

_The age I learned to fly and took a step outside!_

_Once I knew all the tales,_

_It's time to turn back time follow the pale moonlight..._

_***************_

I woke up a day later.

Shaking my head, I pushed myself up before I was stricken by a horrible pain in the area around my right side. Crying out shortly in pain, I fell back down on what I realized was my mattress. In my bed. In my room. With Tetra's worried eyes hanging over me.

"Dear Nayru Zelda, talk to me! What happened!? Are you okay!? Where does it hurt!?" she asked worriedly.

I winced. "Nothing…" I whimpered.

"Alright, can you sit up?" she prompted me.

"I can try." I gulped down and nodded. Tetra put my pillow against the wooden structure behind me and helped me sit up. With a hiss of pain, I shifted comfortably in a sitting position.

"Here, take your shirt off, I need to see that wound of yours." She half-ordered, half-asked.

Biting my lip, I shakily grabbed the bottom of my shirt and turned it up, taking it off completely.

I gasped at the sight. White bandages were covering almost the entire area of the right side of my body. From my right hips to my right armpit, white bandages occasionally stained with red were covering the skin underneath. Feeling around, I realized a few of them had also extended to my back by the side.

"Goddesses, Zelda. Dammit, what the hell did you do to deserve this…?" Tetra asked, pulling a first aid kit from under my bed and opening it.

"I… I helped Sheik escape… And… Well, Link was already… He wasn't there when I went to find him…" I remembered.

"Sh… Sheik's not in the dungeons anymore…?" Tetra asked, sounding relieved, yet worried at the same time.

"I… I had some outside help… And I busted him out… But I had to stay… And Onox came, he was really really angry at me, and…" I winced again as she started peeling off the dirty bandages. "This happened…" I motioned at my right side.

"Dear Goddesses…" Tetra whispered again, horrified. "I just had a couple of guards bursting through the door at four in the morning, carrying you here, bloodied and unconscious. They throw you on the bed, grunt like the pigs they are, then leave…" she explained. "Dear Goddesses, Zelda, you gave me a heart attack!" she frowned, taking out all the bandages and throwing them in the garbage can. I took the opportunity to check my wound out and looked down at it. It was basically a line of half-healed wounds. The marks were independent, but they were all concentrated on my right side. A few of them were still lightly bleeding, but most of them were in the process of scarring.

"Ouch." I simply chuckled darkly.

"Alright, keep your arm up." Tetra ordered. I lifted my arm and she took some kind of an ointment in her hands, rubbing it softly on my wounded skin. I shuddered at the iciness of the ointment, but waited until Tetra finished, put the ointment away and grabbed clean bandages. In less time than I'd expected, she had expertly covered all of my wounded skin with her bandages.

"Okay, you can put your shirt back on now." She nodded. I grabbed my nightshirt and quickly put it on.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Six in the afternoon." She replied, sliding the first aid kit back under our bed. I made a movement to get out, but she quickly put her hand on my stomach to stop me. "No. Six o' clock doesn't mean you can get up. Zelda, you're pale from blood loss, we can't have you passing out everywhere. Just until you recover, you need to stay in bed." She scolded. Then, she reached for my night table and grabbed the bottle of blue potion, handing it to me. "Here, this should help the scarring process." She nodded.

"Thanks." I gratefully took the bottle and gulped its contents down, wiping my mouth with my hand after finishing and putting the empty bottle back on the table. "So now what?" I asked, already bored.

"I'd suggest for you to get some rest. Din knows you need it." Tetra helped me lie down again, and despite hissing in pain, I found myself comfortable in my bed.

"Thanks." I repeated.

"Here, entertain yourself while I go make dinner with what we have in your fridge." She handed me the book I'd been reading for the last week now and headed to the door leading to the kitchen with a chuckle.

I smiled and opened the page with the bookmark in it.

I read for a moment. Just a couple of phrases, but realized that I didn't need anything else clouding my mind right now. So I sighed and put the bookmark back, and, putting the book on my night table, I put my hands behind my head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Link…"

All I could think of. Even as I closed my eyes, tired, his face kept flashing in my mind.

Flashbacks from the past five years came back to me. I remembered the first time I met him, about five years ago. When I'd just come in to fill in Midna's place on the Throne… When he was just a servant, and he slowly made his way up the ranks and into my heart. How he used to smile with his innocent face. How he'd used to think, with his eyebrows adorably creased, eyes glazed over. How he used to laugh, his charming voice ringing out sweetly.

How he used to frown, looking hopeless, yet adorable at the same time. How he used to grit his teeth, reddened over, fists clenched. How he used to whimper, breathing heavily in pain. How he used to cry, shoulders shaking, diamonds rolling off his cheeks. How he used to scream, voice rough and scratched, tainted with pain and suffering, his voice penetrating my soul and shattering everything I had inside, just like that time when Onox and Veran brought him to me half-dead. When he looked desperately at me and screamed, his eyes pleading for me to run away as a bullet was shot into his shoulder, and with that last look, he pleaded me to run to safety, falling down to his own doom in the meantime…

I ran. I shot up, and the world disappeared. Darkness invaded, and a spotlight only illuminated me and him separately. Screaming his name, I reached out. But it didn't matter how much I ran, he seemed to get further and further away from me. I extended my hand, feeling a cold breeze sweep over me. With half-dead eyes, he looked up at me, fading into the darkness. Through the faded blue of my usually shiny orbs, I could see a dead look, and it scared me to know why that dead look was there.

I looked down at his chest and screamed again when I saw a bloody hand clutching a knife protruding right from his heart. Uselessly shedding tears, I screamed his name over and over desperately, still running. But he just got further away from me, dissipating into the darkness. The hand retracted the bloody knife, and just as he dully hit the floor with his dead weight, he disappeared. I jumped and only landed in darkness, only one spotlight remaining, directed at me. Alone.

"NO!" I gasped, shooting up, a hand on my frantically beating heart. Breathing heavily, I looked around and took account of my surroundings.

I was back in my room. Back in my bed, clutching my covers and trembling like a leaf during a storm. Breathing heavily and covered in cold sweat, I shivered.

Just a nightmare.

A horrible, terrifying, creepy nightmare. Making me wonder just WHERE Link had gotten to… Was he safe? Did he escape, or did the Labyrennians merely change his location? Gulping down, worried, I decided to leave that thought aside, strongly praying for the first supposition I made.

I shivered again and looked around. The moonlight shone through the windows. I turned around and saw Tetra, sleeping blissfully next to me. Looking the other way, I spotted the door leading to the balcony.

The pale blue curtains that covered the glass door that lead to the balcony were flying to a breeze. Apparently, the doors were open. I shivered again and slowly got up, wondering why it was open. Unless Tetra had opened it, I don't remember seeing the doors open when I drifted off to sleep.

In any case, it was getting slightly chilly in here, so I decided to close the doors. Getting completely up and grunting in pain from my recent injuries, I headed for the doors.

Grabbing their handles, I was about to close them when I noticed something. A piece of paper, scotch taped to the left glass.

Raising a brow, but my heart fluttering, I forgot the doors for a second and reached for the note, gently taking it off the glass. My name was written in bold letters on it. I delicately opened the folded paper as if it was a precious package and stepped outside to read in the shining moonlight.

"_Dearest Queen Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule."_

The note started like that. My heart beating rapidly, I kept reading, wondering who it was, since I couldn't recognize the handwriting.

"_I wrote this in Zora's Domain. Hence the few drops of water everywhere." _

I checked around the note and did see a few faded splotches of water. Chuckling, I continued.

"_This is where we are right now. Under the Royal Zoran Couple's care. Master Sheik and Prince Link still haven't recovered, and they are both in a seemingly lethargic sleep. The Zoran King and Queen say they will keep us here as long as we need, because his Highness and his adjutant are still unconscious and very weak. The doctors say they could even be on the verge of a dangerous coma. And they haven't woken up since the escape from the castle. Which is why I pray this letter doesn't fall into Labyrennian hands._

_After making my escape from the castle dungeons with Master Sheik, I decided to use the waterway to Hyrule Field to get out. I helped Master Sheik out, because at this point, he was having trouble staying awake. Then, on our way to Zora's Domain from in the shadows, Master Sheik ordered me to stop. Wondering why, I did stop. I soon found out when he jumped out of the shadow and pushed himself, heading for a tree. I followed, curious, and soon found out what he was looking at._

_Basically, we found Prince Link semi-collapsed behind the tree, laying on the ground with his eyelids half-drooped. He was carrying various deep, and probably lethal wounds, and I did my best to carry both of them to Zora's Domain as quickly as my shadow magic would allow it. That's when they passed out, and now they're recovering in the Zoran hospital._

_I wanted to tell you all this in person, but seeing as you were asleep when I came, I wish not to wake you, even if you looked like you were having a horrifying nightmare. Hopefully, this letter will calm most of your worries. I will keep you updated on everything, your Highness. And I promise, we will take Hyrule back. Those scars you bear on your right side will not be made in vain. I swear it over my head and my honour._

_I wish you the best of luck._

_Even when hope seems dim, and the light is fading into the darkness, never give up hope, because even if it is just a small ray, the light will always be present, whenever, wherever._

_~Oni"_

By the end of the message, other drops of salty water had run down onto the paper. Sniffling, I read the letter over again and blinked the tears out of my eyes.

Link..? He was safe? He was in Zora's Domain, recovering?

"Dear Nayru dear Nayru dear Nayru." I sobbed in relief, falling to my knees. Holding the balcony railing with one hand, and clutching the message with my other hand against my heart, I sobbed the night away.

---

In the morning, my eyelids fluttered open and I groaned in pain. Blinking the haze out of my eyes, I coughed and pushed myself into a sitting position. Feeling my sore limbs, I gritted my teeth, then yawned and stretched, pushing myself up. Blinking, I realized I was still on my balcony. Stretching my fingers, I realized the crumpled note was still in my palm. Gasping, I quickly sat up, stifling a gasp of pain as I did so, and pulled myself up on my wobbly feet.

I then quickly opened the crumpled note, smoothed it and read it again to make sure it hadn't all been a dream.

"Nope…" I shook my head, relieved, yet worried.

Oni said that Link and Sheik were hovering on the edge of a dangerous coma. That could prove to be very bad if it happened. Gasping, I pressed the note against my heart even harder and looked out towards Zora's Domain, the waterfall that covered the traditional entrance to it being perfectly visible from where I was standing.

"Link…" I breathed. "Get well soon. Next time someone comes to inform me, I hope it'll be you." I whispered into the wind.

Inside, I heard Tetra shuffling. I smiled sadly and looked at Zora's Domain once more before I neatly folded the precious message, kissed it lightly and put it in my pocket. Turning around, I walked back inside, closing the door as I went.

---

The days passed. Slowly, dully, but they passed. My wound healed, yet a nasty scar was left. Tetra says that unless I get skin surgery, it'll stay there for my entire life. But no way. This is the proof that I wasn't helpless, just like the many Queens that came before me and that were implied in wars. I'd heard of a Princess of Hyrule, centuries ago, during the medieval times, who stood up at the beginning, then was helpless to help her country afterwards. I'd make her proud, if she were still alive. Besides, I was probably the only Queen of Hyrule who had ever lasted this long under enemy's grip.

Fuelled by those thoughts, I smiled at every passing day and made the most of them, even if I couldn't do very much, stuck in my quarters all day long. And just to avoid trouble, I was on what Onox and Veran would call 'my best behaviour'.

A week later, I woke up in the morning, shivering. Smiling, despite having my senses tangled, I got up and checked the balcony doors, my smile widening into a grin.

It was open.

And Tetra left it closed last night.

Laughing like a little girl, I skipped to the door and pushed the billowing curtains away and looked at the glass.

Nothing.

I chuckled and looked on the other door.

Nothing.

My grin fading into a frown, I stepped out and looked at the balcony railing. Stretching, I yawned, not completely awake yet.

The strong breeze that flew past me finished by waking me up. I shivered, clutching myself tight. For some reason, my lips felt hotter than the rest of my body. Idly wondering why, I suddenly felt something flapping on my forehead. Frowning, I reached up to push the strand of hair away and blinked in surprise when what I touched felt rough.

Blinking and staying unmoving for a moment, I then put my body back into action and brought my hand down. I felt a slight pain as something sticky came off my forehead, then I checked what I had brought down.

And immediately started laughing, forgetting the object in my hands for a moment. When I was done laughing, I took off the scotch tape on the folded paper in my hands and opened the note, greedily reading with a smile.

"_Dear Zelda."_

I smiled. It wasn't Oni. He always addressed me as my title. Could it be…?

"_It was pretty chilly when I came to see you, so I hope what I did heated you up a bit."_

I unconsciously reached up to my lips and started laughing again, guessing who the author was and what he had done to me.

"_Anyway, yesterday, Sheik woke up. I woke up today, not long ago, actually. So… Oni says we both slipped into a coma not long after the King and Queen of the Zoras took us into their care. He said we were in pretty bad shape when he got there, too._

_Enough about me, hey Zelda, do you know who Oni is? Oni is"_

There was a huge scribble there. I raised a brow, but continued nonetheless.

"_He's a spying vulture over my head, that's what he is. He says he'd rather not tell you right now. He says he'll personally explain all this when he comes back._

_Back…_

_Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Sheik, Oni and I are leaving Hyrule._

_No no! Not forever! Sheik and Oni discussed a plan while I was still blissfully asleep, and they finally agreed that leaving the country for a while would be wise. So… We're travelling. I cannot tell you where, since if this letter falls into Labyrennian hands, it'll be game over for us, but we will have to cross Great Bay to the other side, where our targeted country is._

_The ocean is so vast… Even by our 'special' methods of transportation. It'll take us days, WEEKS even, to reach our goal. And maybe we'll come back empty handed._

_But whatever happens, I want you to keep holding on. You're a strong woman, and you've displayed your ability to rebel, fight, defend, yet be gentle and caring at the same time already. Please, don't do anything rash. Remember that I love you, and I'd never EVER leave you behind. So with those thoughts in mind, wish me luck, because what we're aiming to do right now could save us all. I can't wait to see you again. But you looked so calm in your sleep when I came, I didn't want to wake you up. Besides, Oni said he'd give me five minutes, then threatened to leave without me if I was late delivering this message._

_Don't worry, love. I promise, I SWEAR TO ALL THE DEITIES IN THE WORLD, I will come back for you. Thanks for saving the kids. They're off my consciousness now. And thanks for saving Sheik too, he wouldn't have gotten out alive of that hellhole if you hadn't saved him. He sends his many thanks and apologies for leaving you behind. Oni too. But he said he didn't want the fakers on the Throne to cause more damage in their rage, so he left you behind._

_I trust you will decide wisely what to do from now on. I suggest you lay low for a while, until we come back for you. In a couple of weeks. Until then, maybe you could plan something to break the prisoners out of jail. If you don't want to…"_

The rest was scribbled over again.

"_Of course you will. I know you, Zelda, I know you're strong, free-spirited and creative. Just don't put yourself in any danger, please. It killed me to watch Onox hurt you like that and be powerless, too weak to do anything about it. I wish I could have saved you, I would've done anything to get you out… But I failed… I'm sorry, Zelda, I'm a bad husband, father and protector… I'm sorry._

_Let me make up for my mistake. I failed you once, I won't fail you again. Do what you can, and stay armed at all times. I want you to be brave and stand strong. Sheik also pleads you to protect Tetra, and send her his love._

_I must go now. It's been long enough. Always remember that I will always love you, and always keep you in my heart. I will not forget, and I will kill those bastards. Not just for hurting me, but for hurting you too._

_Until later._

_Remember that I adore you with every inch of my being._

_I will be back for you."_

A lot of words were scribbled off at the bottom. I could make out some of them: 'your loving husband', 'your shadow protector', 'Love', 'Sincerely', 'your loyal servant' and many more he'd scribbled on, but in the end, he'd just settled for one word.

"_Hugs,_

_~Link"_

I chuckled at his childishness and smiled, hugging the note against my heart as a way of expressing my love for him.

"I hope that wherever you are now, Link, you're safe. May the Winds of Destiny guide you safely towards your goal." I whispered into the wind, then turned around and walked inside.

---

I spent the rest of the day in my room, planning. Link had told me to stay armed at all times, so I had taken a couple of knives from the kitchen and had planted them about everywhere in the room. I also strapped a dagger to the highest point of my right thigh, and carried it at all times, since my gun had been confiscated.

I had soooo many sketches of plans on the ground. Plans to break the people in the dungeons out. I had to take in consideration the fact that they were on two different Levels, my staff on the first level, my ministers on the second. So I'd have to take that into consideration when I busted them out.

Plus, the metal-melting acid I had wouldn't suffice to break all the prison cell locks, so I'd have to find a new way to break the locks.

I sighed. This wasn't going very well. Link's words fuelled me, and I was really REALLY happy he was alright, but my imagination wasn't having a full blast of genius ideas right now.

Rubbing my temples, I discarded yet another sketch of a failed breakout plan and started sketching again. I had to do this. Link said I could do it, and he BELIEVED I could do it, so why wouldn't I?

"Yo Zel." Tetra came in from the door heading towards the kitchen, biting into a chicken wrap as she came next to me. "What'cha up to?" she asked between bites, looking at my plans.

"Stuff..." I replied emptily, erasing a bad line on my plan.

"Stuff like what?" she asked curiously, leaning over me to check.

"Doing what Link asked me to do..." I rubbed my eyes tiredly, crumpling another sheet of paper and throwing it behind me.

"Link?" she asked, her curiosity perked up.

"Yea, Link. By the way, Sheik says he loves you and he asked me to protect you." I also shrugged, starting another sketch.

"Protect me? Loves me? What the... How the hell did you-"

"Here. Read. Enjoy." I dully rolled my eyes and handed her the note.

She quickly grabbed it and started reading. When she was done and turned to me, I threw away another sketch of a failed plan and looked at her.

"Hmm?" I inquired, seeing her weird look.

"What's all this about crossing the ocean and finding help and you protecting me when I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself?" she raised a brow and handed me the note.

"You're not. You're wimpy." I smirked.

"HEY!" she gasped, outraged.

"Well, yeah, I mean, I went to war and fought and stuff, and you got knocked out by a guard's first try!" I laughed.

"I can SO take care of myself!" she frowned, looking angry.

I got up and smirked, facing her. "Then how do you get yourself out of this?" With lightning fast reflexes, I drew the dagger on my thigh and pushed the flat side against her neck.

I could feel her shuddering through the blade. Laughing, I pushed slightly harder to prove my point.

"Fine, you win."

Laughing harder, I withdrew my weapon and sheathed it.

"But when you carry on with your plan, I'll be a burden to you, won't I?"

I suddenly stiffened, knowing that she was getting to something.

"What're you implying?" I raised a brow.

"I mean, when you're gonna help Sheik, Link, and that Oni-guy kick some Labyrennian ass, I'll just get in your way, won't I?" Tetra circled her arms from behind me and smirked.

"What are you getting at?" I raised a brow.

"You know what I'm getting at. You know exactly what I want." She leaned in on my ear. "I want you... I want you to teach me... Teach me to fight..." she whispered right into my ear.

We both stayed silent for a moment, Tetra's grin extending into a wolfish smile.

I gulped down dramatically and started breathing hard for a moment. Weighing the options, I looked in front of me, face emotionless. Then, looking at her, unmoving, I slowly nodded.

"I... I will..."

"Good girl..."

We both stood silent for a moment, then, slowly, very slowly, we cracked a smile.

And suddenly burst out laughing.

When we were done, I wiped off a couple for tears, then looked straight at her.

"Well, first, if I gotta teach you how to fight and defend yourself, I'm gonna have to show you where I hide my weapons." I smiled and reached under my desk, pulling out a knife. I also pulled out a knife from under my chair and flicked it at the opposite wall, the knife sticking itself straight into a crack.

Tetra was breathless. Gaping, she turned her attention from the knife to me.

"Show me how to do that. Please."

"First things first."

"Yes?"

"Get me some lunch."

_*****************_

_Once I wish for this night,_

_Faith brought me here, it's time to _

_Cut the rope and fly to a dream,_

_Far across the seas._

_All the burdens gone,_

_Open the chest once more!_

_Dark chest of wonders,_

_Seen through the eyes of the one_

_With pure heart_

_Once so long ago!_

_~Aryll's Theme (Dark Chest of Wonders- Nightwish)_

**----------**

**Author Notes:**

**AWESOME NIGHTWISH THEME YES! Don't ask why I chose this for Aryll, I just did. Seeing as she wasn't completely helpless in this story, I decided to give her a harder theme, and not something girly =P**

**Yea, not very action-y, but yep, at least now we know where Sheik and Link are, how they're doing, and where they're heading to (albeit not very specifically). Oh, and I love Link's letter =3 "Oni is... He's a spying vulture over my head, that's what he is." XDDD Best line in this entire chapter =3**

**Except "Get me some lunch." xDD I was trying to find a way to end this chapter on a mysterious/cliffhanger note like I always do, and this is all I could think of xDDD**

**Bad Onox. U ish Bad. I spank you hard =( Yes, he whipped Zelda's right side into a pulp =(**

**Oh wellz. Once again, I am REALLY REALLY REALLYYYYYYYYYYY SORRY I FORGOT! I don't even know how it slipped past me! I'm seriously very frustrated at myself now, I am really sorry, you guys =( I feel like I let you down X(**

**You don't need to review if you don't want to, I mean, it's actually my fault this chapter was forgotten =(**


	11. I can take care of myself: Just watch me

**Author Notes:**

**Hey guys, did you read the REAL chapter 9? I had forgotten to post it and had skipped it =( I'm really sorry =( Hope you're not very mad at me...**

**Had to reupload this chapter cause there was a glitch in it. IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS THE FF LOGIN SECTION GLITCH! FF was out yesterday and before-yesterday, can't blame me for that. And now, the Review Reply command isn't working, so I'll reply to your reviews in the next chapter's A/N's =)**

**Wow, this fic sure passed by really quickly. I mean, I can't believe I wrote so much in such little time!**

**Okai then. The awaited chapter! A lot fo you wanted to see Zelda on the battlefield again after Chapter 4, so I decided to give you seconds, and so Zelda will be fighting her ass off in Chapter 10 and Chapter 11.**

**Plus, this is the chapter where ALL THE CAMEOS I promised will appear ^^ Towards the very end, though ^^**

**In any case, hope you like it, this chapter was typing itself, and before I knew it, it hit 9000 words xD So... 9000 WORDS OF PURE ROMANCE, AWESOME ACTION AND SUPER COOL NINJA PLANS! =P**

_**----------**_

_What the hell are you standing there for,_

_Expecting me to help you when I'm down myself,_

_Waiting my saviour, my world is flooding over,_

_There's no room for air, I can't breathe,_

_I'd give a kingdom for one more day._

_I'd give a kingdom, for one more day as the King of your world,_

_I'd give a Kingdom, for one more day..._

*******************

Link had estimated right. Weeks passed. The days seemed interminable. Thankfully, I had a diversion, something I could kill time with.

Tetra.

She was getting better every day. Her will to learn was amazing, and she progressed immensely in the three weeks that we had to train.

I sneaked into the gymnasium and stole a couple of wooden swords and bows and arrows and trained her in those two to start with. My quarters were literally transformed into training grounds. I'd painted targets on about EVERYTHING I could find, including chests, drawers, tables, pots, plates and more. Who cares if I broke something? Everything was already broken, so who cares? After making all the renovations necessary on Castle Town, and bringing the country back to its original state, I'd invest into renovating this entire castle: Including the removal of those horrid dungeons.

Shuddering, a flash took control of my mind again, and fuelled by my unending imagination, I briefly imagined how Link would have looked like, stuck on one of those torture racks on the sixth level.

I came back to Hyrule a second later, as Tetra whacked the wooden sword out of my hands and pointed the tip of hers at my face.

My face was blank, though, a small frown flicking across it. My arms dropped, and I inclined my head slightly.

"What's wrong?" Tetra sighed, sheathing her wooden sword and taking my hand. "You usually never zone out, or get defeated, even less by me." She chuckled.

"Nothing…" I sighed. "It's nothing."

Tetra stood silent for a moment, scrutinizing me for a second. Then, she turned around and left for the kitchen.

"I'll go make us a snack…" she eyed me suspiciously, then exited the room.

I stood still for a few seconds, then I fell back on my bed, sobs welling up in my chest. I'd promised myself I wouldn't cry anymore, because I wanted to be strong and make Link proud. It was getting harder with every passing day, though.

"No." I bit my lip and screwed my eyes shut. "I won't cry."

Where was he? He'd said a couple of weeks… Weren't three weeks already enough? What did he have in mind? Knowing him, he was planning a suicide-plan involving him, Sheik, and probably that Oni guy.

Seriously, I didn't even know who this Oni dude was, but yet, I trusted him. He had the same aura as Sheik and Link, I could tell, especially that I now was about ninety percent sure he was a Sheikah. Could that be why they all felt the same? Because they were all Sheikahs? Or… was there something more personal linking them together?

"Here." I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice Tetra walking in and handing me a sandwich.

"Thanks." I idly muttered, grabbing the sandwich and biting in it.

"So what's all the zoning-out about?" Tetra asked.

"I don't know... Guess I'm just worried about Link and Sheik…" I sighed out.

"They'll be fine." She assured me.

"But Link said a couple of weeks… It's been three weeks since his last message!" I groaned desperately.

"Couple of weeks is just a figure of speech. I'm sure he'll reappear any time now." Tetra chuckled.

"I hope you're ri-"

An icy wind cut me off. Not just SOME icy wind, an icy wind inside my mind. I knew what it was. Tetra froze as well, so I think she felt it too.

"_Zelda. Bathroom. Now."_

Without even thinking, I bolted up and ran for the bathroom. That voice was too familiar.

Hurriedly throwing the bathroom door open, I looked inside. To my disappointment, there was no one.

"What the…" I sighed, disappointed. Tetra looked from over me and raised a brow.

"Hey, what's in that brown paper bag? I don't remember putting one in here…" she noted.

My gaze lifted to the sink. Inside, perfectly untouched, was a brown paper bag.

"Whoa." I rushed and lifted it out of the sink. It wasn't even wet.

"Come on." Tetra pulled me out of the bathroom and towards my room again.

Once set on my bed, I left the package and checked through the door's loophole to make sure the guards weren't anywhere near. Then, I headed back and sat down on my bed next to Tetra. My hands delicately grabbed the brown paper, slowly pulling it open. My breath got caught in my throat as I finally unwrapped the contents completely.

"Dear Nayru…" Tetra breathed, concentrated on the package. My eyes widened, but my face was soon split by a grin.

"Thanks, guys." I simply whispered into the wind, grabbing one of the two silver pistols in the brown bag.

"Hey, what're we supposed to do with these?" Tetra asked, grabbing her holster and tying it around her right thigh.

"Isn't there a note?" I asked, doing the same for mine.

"Wait." Tetra ripped the paper bag open. That's when we saw two extra belts of ammunition. Raising a brow, I pushed those aside to grab the crumpled paper underneath.

"_Dear Zelda. _

_Three rebels in the dark wish to speak. _

_They will reveal a secret so deep._

_But this secret to yourself you must keep._

_This secret shall remain unnamed._

_When you solve the riddle, the answer you shall obtain._

_Be ready, for here comes the light._

_Advancing among the darkness with all its might._

_First comes the subtle glow._

_Then the blinding shine shall follow._

_May the roses with thorns be ready._

_May the help provided come in handy._

_We hunters in the shadows shall be on our guard._

_For the approaching challenges will be hard._

_As the sun starts to lose its shine._

_The gardener will walk into the garden he left behind._

_Finding the thorny roses in the grassy fray,_

_He shall cut them, then take them away._

_And as this love poem reaches its end,_

_I hope it does not fall into Labyrennian hands."_

I read the note over and over again. Then, I finally sighed out.

"I don't get it. Here, you try." I handed Tetra the paper. She intently read it a couple of times, then shook her head. "Alright, I have no idea what the boys are talking about, but we gotta decipher this." She sighed and picked up a pencil and paper from the night table.

Putting it in front of us, she looked up at me.

"Alright, we gotta take this bit by bit. First of all. They're telling us a secret." She scribbled the word _secret_ on the paper, then put an '_='_ sign next to it.

"Yea, but they'd never keep secrets from us…" I sighed.

"Unless it was something really important… That they'd just figured out… Maybe… a secret weakness? To Onox and Veran?" she tried.

"Nah… The letter doesn't seem to talk about a weakness… It's mostly about… actions…" I raised a brow.

We both stood silent for a second, then I suddenly shot up, a grin on my face. "I GOT IT! SECRET PLANS!" I exclaimed.

Tetra quickly grabbed my head and applied her hand to my mouth.

"Shush! Do you WANT the Labyrennians to hear us?" she warned.

"Sorry, sorry." I quickly apologized, then stood up and grinned. "Anyway, sounds like they're telling us about one of their plans, or strategies, or missions!" I grinned proudly.

"You're right!" Tetra gasped and wrote _plans_ next to the _equal_ sign. "Now… What does he mean by light and dark?" she asked.

"Well, I mean, darkness is always linked to bad guys and light to good guys… So I'm figuring that they're the light and the Labyrennians are the darkness…" I figured.

"Good thinking, Zel." Tetra smiled and wrote that down. "But what's that all about the subtle glow and following brightness?" she asked.

I reeled back and started thinking. But no matter how much I thought, the words made no sense to me… Why were there TWO sizes of light? Like… One was faded, the other was full-force… What could that mean?

"Well, let's leave that aside for now. We'll figure it out later. Go on." I urged.

"Okay." She wrote down _rose_ _with thorns_, then turned to me. "I think this is pretty obvious.

"Yea, thanks for phrasing it so nicely, Link. Rose with thorns…" I scoffed as Tetra wrote down _us_ next to _rose with thorns._

"Then… The help provided must be the guns…" she reasoned.

"Yea." I waited till she was done writing before continuing. "But what's this about the gardener and cutting the roses when the sun loses its shine and stuff?" I asked.

"Well, the roses are us. And if the guys wrote about breaking the chains keeping us in this place, hence the 'cutting the roses' part, then the gardener must be one of them!" she made out.

"That makes sense!" I gasped. "And the garden must be the castle, since it's the only place they left behind!" I followed.

"Well, the garden could just be Hyrule in general… Or Castle Town…" Tetra corrected.

"Yes, but we're in the garden… And the gardener came only for the roses…" I mused out loud. "So… They must be the gardener, the garden must be the castle, and we must be the roses! They're coming to break us out of the castle!" I excitedly whispered.

"AWESOME!" Tetra cheered, writing all of that down on the paper. "And… grassy fray must mean some kind of a mess?" Tetra tried.

"Hmm… A battle of some sort, maybe? Fray IS a synonym of an all-out battle…" I noted.

"Great! Let's see what we got!" Tetra finished writing that down, then looked at me with a gentle smile.

"Alright, so basically, the boys are gonna come to the castle while a battle blows out outside, and they're gonna sweep us from our feet and save us." Tetra sighed dreamily. I couldn't help but chuckle. "And we only have a few elements to decipher, and we're good to go." She nodded encouragingly.

"Alright… So… The subtle light, followed by the main glow, and the issue of when the sun loses its shine." I reminded.

"Well, the lights are the good guys, right? Subtle light must mean a little light, meaning a small part of the allied forces…"

"Oh! And the main glow must mean the rest of their forces!"

"Awesome! Zelda, my friend, we have once again deciphered one of Hyrule's toughest codes. Congrats." Tetra chuckled and made our secret handshake before I started laughing.

"I think I also got the run loses its shine part." I reminded her.

"Yea… What about it?" she inquired.

"Well, the only moment of the day where the sun loses its shine is when it disappears…" I reasoned.

"As in when the sun sets…"

Both our heads immediately whipped towards the open balcony doors, looking straight towards the horizon.

Sundown.

---

"You ready?" I called to Tetra, who was putting on her shirt.

"Ready as I'll ever be…" she gulped down nervously as she finished tying a bandana around her head.

"Good. Did you pick up your dagger belt?" I asked, tying mine around my left thigh. My right was occupied with my gun.

"Yep." She nodded and lifted her black skirt to show me the leather belt that strapped her daggers to her thigh.

"Gun?" I asked.

She turned around and showed me the gun holster, then put her skirt back down, covering it.

"Good." I tied my hair up in a ponytail, following Tetra's steps.

When we were both ready, we tied a black scarf to our necks, to protect ourselves from whatever we might encounter, then proceeded out to the balcony.

"Come on… It's an hour past sundown…" I muttered anxiously, gripping the railings, waiting impatiently for Link to get here.

Though as if answering my call, a black vortex finally formed in the middle of Hyrule Field. Gasping, I pointed in that direction. Tetra looked there as well and gasped along. Together, we stood frozen, anticipating what would come.

And a couple of minutes later, the first wave of the alliance came.

They were not a lot. Barely three hundred, it looked like it.

"That's it?" Tetra sighed, disappointed.

"No…" I whispered, eyes frozen on the group of soldiers. "Remember… Link said that this was the small glint in the darkness… The bright light will follow." I reminded her.

"Right…" she nodded, and kept staring.

It wasn't long before the three hundred-like men attacked. Their battle cries even reached my own ears as a couple of tanks emerged from the vortex before it closed. My eyes widened as I slapped my hands over my ears and cringed. Tetra quickly followed my example. Just in time as the two tanks fired directly at Castle Town, tearing down the front wall and drawbridge in a deafening concert of gunshots, screams and yelled orders.

I grinned. "Awesome… We're one step closer. Now. The guards are bound to run in any time now. Follow my example. You know what to do." I advised, pulling out my gun.

Not too late, as just a second later, two guards ran in.

"Freeze." I coldly ordered, locking and loading my gun as I pointed at them. The guards froze and slowly lifted their hands in the air. "Good. Tetra. Ropes. Quick." I ordered.

"Right!" she ran from my side to a drawer, bringing out the rock climbing rope I had stashed in there. With that in hand, she ran to the guards' side and slowly tied their hands together in a hard knot. Then, grabbing their guns, she tossed them to me. After that, she slipped off their gauntlets and crushed them under her foot before doing the same with the walkie-talkies strapped to their shoulder guards. And to top it off, she grabbed my pillow covers and pointed a gun at one of them.

"Open wide." She ordered coldly. The guard complied without hesitation. Tetra took the chance to stuff the cloth in his mouth. Then, she did the same with the other guard, and came back to my side.

"Can we use those guns?" she asked.

"Yep. Here, take one." I handed her one of the guns we'd confiscated. She slipped it under the belt that held her gun holster, just like I did, then turned back toward the balcony.

"Any time now…" I narrowed my eyes. Just as the panicked screams were subsiding, and the sounds of battle were getting lower, it happened.

It all crossed as a flurry, to my eyes. It all seemed inhuman for a second before I blinked and realized what had happened.

Hundreds- NO! Thousands of men were now rushing towards Castle Town. Not just on foot, but some of them were in cars, tanks and horses. My heart fluttered as I recognized the symbol on most of the men's outfits. Tetra beat me to the punch, though.

"Holodrum…" she gasped out, disbelieving.

"Midna…" my eyes watered as I remembered my long-forgotten cousin.

"Midna!" Tetra cheered as she remembered her older sister's name.

"Now I get it!" I gasped. "Across the seas! That's where Link, Sheik and Oni went!" I made out. "Holodrum! Holodrum is across Great Bay!" I grinned.

"So THAT'S where they were gone off to during those three weeks!" Tetra concluded.

"Awesome!" I grinned wider and high-hived her.

"Alright, now all we gotta do is wait for someone to come pick us u-"

"My Ladies." A shadow suddenly sprung up form under our feet. Screaming in surprise, Tetra and I both jumped out, whipping out our guns on reflex. "WHOA WHOA WHOA!" the familiar voice of the mysterious Oni came to our ears as he slowly put his hands up. "I bear no ill will, your Highness!" he chuckled.

"Oh, Oni…" I sighed out in relief and put my gun down. Tetra seemed to hesitate, but followed me. "Don't worry, he's a friend of ours." I smiled.

"Alright My Ladies… Judging from what you're wearing, I believe you have deciphered our coded message?" he seemed to grin, but I couldn't tell under that hood he was wearing.

"Yes, I must say, very ingenious, and romantic code." I chuckled.

"It was all Master Sheik's idea and Prince Link's words." He snickered.

"Hah. My husband's a poet, yours isn't." I stuck a tongue out childishly at Tetra.

"Very well. Shall we depart before those guards over there break free and call reinforcements?" he nodded towards the tied up guards who were slowly wiggling their way out of the ropes.

"Yes. Come on Tetra. We're outta here." I held her hand and extended mine towards Oni's. He gently took my hand in his, and, making sure we were holding on tight, he melted into the shadows of the balcony, travelling towards Hyrule Field.

---

After a seemingly-long while of teleporting through the shadows, I finally emerged to the real world, swaying and stumbling. Oni was by my side in a heartbeat, grabbing my elbow as gently as he could and supporting me.

"Dear Nayru..." I muttered, putting my hand against my forehead.

"Are you feeling alright, your Highness?" Oni asked, concerned. He grunted, shifting Tetra over his other arm, then looked at me.

"I'm alright." I chuckled, trying to steady myself. "I'm just not used to long shadow-teleportation trips like this." I nodded to clear the blurs in my vision. "Damn vision." I chuckled darkly, rubbing my eyes.

"Hey, look, I'm sure that'll help you out." Oni chuckled.

"What?"

Before I could try to figure out what he was talking about, I heard a voice.

This time, it wasn't in my head. Instead, it was the voice I'd constantly have in my head... in reality.

Time slowed down. My head slowly lifted up and my eyes opened to the light. I looked right towards the setting sun, spotting a figure in the middle. Squinting, I tried to make out the figure. My eyes finally widened as I realized who it was.

"ZELDA!"

"Let me go..." I breathed, my frozen body thawing. Oni slowly let me go, making sure I wouldn't stumble. Slowly, very slowly, I moved forward, my breath getting caught in my throat. And I moved again. My feet started walking on their own, and slowly, very slowly, I started running.

And got faster. Faster and faster with every step. On the other side, I could spot my angel as he did the same.

"ZELDA!"

My world blurred, but I kept running, arms extended in front of me. For the first time in a long while, I started sobbing.

And finally, when the Goddesses decided to stop torturing us, we finally flew into each other's arms. He grabbed my hips and lifted me up in the air, twirling me around twice before setting me down and hugging me.

"LINK!"

I only said his name, and it was already enough to make me feel better. I could feel his hands gripping me tightly, pushing me tenderly against his chest.

"LINK! DEAR GODDESSES, LINK!" I screamed, and roughly pushed my lips against his.

A smile graced his face as he returned the tender kiss. Salty drops of water rolled down the sides of my cheeks and splashed over his shirt. I snaked my arms around him and behind his head, pushing him further over me.

"It's okay Zelda... I'm here now..." he comforted me. I broke away for a moment, caressing his cheeks with my calloused hands, scrutinizing his traits. He was smiling sweetly, his hair billowing around according to the wind.

"Dear Goddesses dear Goddesses dear Goddesses..." I muffled another sob and hugged him again, desperately trying to sew up the huge abyss that had been created between us over all this time.

"Shush, calm down, I'm here now..." he rubbed my back with his hand, running his other one through my hair.

"Thanks the Holy Three... Dear Nayru, thank you so much!" I sobbed out. "THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE!" I screamed out, sobbing harder.

"I promise... I promise I'll never leave your side again... No one will ever touch you again... No one will never EVER hurt you again..." he vowed in a voice below a breath.

"Please please please don't ever go, ever again..." I hiccupped, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"Whatever happens, I promise, I swear on everything that I've got, that I'll never leave you behind again..." he dug his face in my hair and snuggled close.

"Like the gardener who will never leave his roses behind ever again?" I asked, sniffling as I looked up at him with teary eyes.

He looked back down at me and smiled. "Yes, like the gardener who will never abandon his unique, beautiful, precious rose ever again." He breathed, and not a millisecond later, our lips were met again, moving over each other without stopping, catching up on the time we'd lost.

"Six months... For OVER six months, I was left worrying if I was a widow... For half a year, I worried over you... Half a year, I suffered, just as you suffered... And now the rift is finally closed..." I whispered once we let go. I put my head back down over his chest, hugging him tightly.

"I wish I could've done something... For six months, I left you hanging... I abandoned you, and it killed me to know it... I wish I could have helped... I wish I could have broken out earlier... But I couldn't... I only found a way to escape at the very end... By then, you had already planned my escape... But I guess it paid off... I'm proud of you, Zelda. Proud that you didn't stay in your room, whining and submitted... I'm glad you fought back. Thank you." He kissed my forehead and smiled at me.

"I'm not helpless, and I want the world to know it. I can handle guns as well as anyone else... Almost." I laughed, hugging him tighter and sighing in delight.

"It seemed like yesterday when you said 'worrying _over me won't get you out of this hellhole, Link._'" A voice suddenly came from behind me.

I quickly whipped around and saw Sheik smirking at me, holding Tetra's hand.

"SHEIK!" I screamed delightedly, letting go of Link for a moment to jump on him and hug him, laughing. "THANK NAYRU YOU GUYS ARE OKAY!" I laughed, immensely relieved.

As I turned back to Link and took his hand, I noticed Oni watching us. I couldn't really tell what his expression was since he was wearing a hood, but I smirked amusedly.

"Aww, look at Oni. All alone... Where's your lover girl, eh?" I chuckled.

At that, Sheik and Link started laughing. They know something we don't, I tell you.

"I... I don't have one, your Majesty..." he stuttered.

"Come on, Oni, you know you can call her Zelda." Link laughed.

"I'm sorry, your Highness. I address royalty by their title, for I am forever loyal to the royal family of Hyrule." He lightly bowed his hooded head.

"After all this, you'll be given a high prestige apartment in the castle and be titled a Knight, Oni." I smiled sweetly.

"I'm sorry, your Highness. The offer is very kind, but I'm a Sheikah. Born in the shadows, live in the shadows, die in the shadows." He shook his head slowly.

"So? Look at Link and Sheik. They're Sheikahs. Born in the real world, live in the real world, die in the real world." I laughed, accompanied by everyone around except –of course- Oni.

"Hey, speaking of Sheik, did you know that Oni-"

Link was cut off when Oni swept in and grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry to break it up, your Majesty, but the army will not hold on for much longer without our help. We must carry on with the plan. You have designed a plan to get the ministers out, right?" he asked.

"Yes." I rolled my eyes, idly wondering why he was so secretive about his identity.

"Good. I will take you and Lady Tetra to the front of the drawbridge. Unfortunately, that's in full war zone. You'll have to be careful as you sneak in from the front." He advised.

I blinked a couple times, then rolled my eyes. "Damn mind-readers." I chuckled.

"But you love these mind-readers, don't you?" Link interrupted.

"Of course I do." I leaned sideways and plucked a kiss on his lips.

"Alright. Let's go, My Ladies. Master Sheik, Prince Link, I will join you on the battlefield." He nodded, extending his hands. Tetra and I slowly advised, taking them in our own.

"Don't do anything stupid, Link." I advised amusedly.

"And don't come back to us like last time." Tetra laughed.

"We won't. Be sure to follow those rules yourselves." Sheik chuckled.

"And be careful. We love you." Link waved, and it was the last thing I was before darkness engulfed me.

---

A couple of minutes later, we reappeared in front of the drawbridge, right behind a mass of sandbags. Thankfully, Oni had chosen a spot where no one was shooting from.

"This is where we part." He put us down and made sure we were okay. I shook my head and looked at him.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"From here on, you go alone. I must return to the battlefield to aid the Hylian alliance. We must finish this soon. I wish you good luck and bid you farewell... Z... Z..."

I stayed silent, cocking my head. He turned around and muttered something, then turned back and cleared his throat.

"Good luck, Zelda and Tetra." And without another move, he disappeared into the nearest shadow and travelled off at blinding speed.

"Well... That was... new..." Tetra finally blinked neutrally.

"Yea. But we have a mission to complete now. Let's go." With that, I grabbed her hand and whirled around, running over the drawbridge and into castle town under the astonished glances of the present soldiers.

---

The run through Castle Town was... hell. We chose to run through West Castle Town, where most of the residential homes were. Regardless, many battles were taking place. So Tetra and I decided to scale one of the houses, and since the homes were relatively close, we could easily jump over the gaps and proceed towards the castle.

At one point, though, we spotted some Hylian soldiers on a flat roof, shooting across to some Labyrennian soldiers on an opposite house's flat roof. Sighing, I stopped Tetra for a moment and pulled out my gun. Pointing at one of the five Labyrennians' necks, I gulped down and shakily pulled the trigger.

Through the noise of all the shooting, my gunshot wasn't audible, but I turned away just as it hit its target. Closing my eyes, I shot again and again. The Labyrennians, confused, stopped and went on the defensive, looking for us. I was about to shoot again before one of them finally spotted me and pointed my way.

"Damn." I cursed, gritting my teeth. I quickly fired a shot and took down the soldier who had spotted me, but it was too late. The others pointed at me and started firing. I gasped. "DUCK!" with that, I pulled Tetra down and pushed her down on the floor, following her soon enough.

The shooting seemed incessant. A few minutes later, I coughed.

"We can't go on like this. Come on, we gotta roll to that metal safe zone." I pointed to a plank of metal set vertically at the border of the house. No idea why it's there, but it is. "Follow me, and be careful." I advised, starting to roll sideways. Slowly, Tetra and I both advanced towards the metal plank, and when we made it, we finally got up, relieved.

"Alright. Now what? We need them to stop firing so we can jump to the next house." She sighed.

"Wait." I carefully poked out from the side and waved to the Hylian soldiers who were shooting down the ground Labyrennians. "HEY!" I called as high as I could. No one heard me. I tried again. No result. I was just about to try again when Tetra stopped me.

"Wait." She grinned and pulled out her gun. Locking and loading, she took a shot at one of the Hylians' bulletproof vest, then quickly put her gun back in the holster and raised her hands in the air. Realizing what she'd done, I did the same.

The soldier quickly turned, pointing his shotgun at us. Seeing our raised hands and panicked faces, though, he didn't shoot, and simply stared. I pointed towards the Labyrennians who were threatening us. He slowly followed my finger, then nodded and raised his gun, shooting down the remaining two who were shooting at us.

Once they were all dead, Tetra and I sighed out in relief and jumped over the gap to the next house, then jumped again to reach the soldier.

"Civilian, we have orders to escort you to the nearest bunker. Follow me." He ordered.

"Sorry soldier." I twirled my gun in my hands and smirked. "I got some business in my castle."

The soldier gasped and quickly fell to his knees.

"My sincere apologies, your Majesty. I did not recognize you in that outfit. But why are you here? Did the Labyrennians capture you?" he inquired.

"No, I escaped the castle and decided to come help. Now, I need to go back. And I need help." I quickly briefed him in.

"V-Very well..." he seemed shaken by seeing me on the battlefield. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"First, rise. Then, we need to get a quick access to the castle, so we chose the roofs. Except some roofs have too much of a gap to jump over. You think you could help us get across the next one?" I asked, pointing at the huge chasm that was between our roof and the next one.

"Y-Yes! H-Here! Here's something you can use if you ever get stuck, but it won't reach for now." He handed me what I recognized as a hookshot, and ran towards the side of the house. "Cover me, you guys!" he screamed to the others.

"Got it." One of them replied over the noise, not even bothering to look.

"Alright. Well, we can always use this ladder to reach the other side." He pointed at a nearby ladder. I looked at Tetra. She shrugged.

"It's all we've got. Let's do this." I nodded.

The soldier ran off and brought back a huge metal ladder, the extended it and threw it across the chasm to the next roof. Thankfully, he got a clear shot and it landed on the other side with a clang.

He then turned to me. "Please be safe, your Majesty." He pleaded.

"Because being in a war zone right now is safe exactly HOW?" I chuckled before pushing Tetra over the ladder. She looked back at me once more before she started crossing. I whipped out my gun, alert for anyone who might try to attack her. Just to pass the time, I also shot a couple of Labyrennians to help the Hylians, but quickly turned away from the mess immediately after.

Soon enough, it was my turn. I thanked the soldier with a nod and grabbed the first bars, slowly advancing. Slowly, yet as quickly as I could. I heard Tetra fire a couple of shots, but I was mostly concentrated on making it across safely.

"ZELDA!" Tetra horrified shriek suddenly broke through the gunfire. I heard her shoot then yell something at me. I simply looked at where she was looking at and spotted a half-dead Labyrennian pointing a gun at me.

"Shit." Was all I said before my survival senses took over and I pushed with my legs, rolling on the ladder. I FELT the bullet whistle past where my chest used to stand, but didn't have time to panic as I lost my footing and tumbled over.

Screaming, I closed my eyes and expected to fall. My surprise was infinite when I didn't hit the ground. So I opened my eyes to see.

I was hanging by one hand to one of the ladder's bars, dangling over twenty feet of nothingness. Gulping down, I looked towards Tetra, who was screaming stuff at me, looking worried and terrified.

Grunting in effort, I put my other hand back up and grabbed the bar in front of me. An idea sprouted in my head.

"Who'd ever think swinging on monkey bars as a kid would save my life?" I grinned, swinging, then grabbing the next bar. I quickly switched my hand and grabbed the next one. And the next one, and the next one, all until I reached Tetra. She gasped out in relief and hauled me up. I crumpled to the ground in effort for a moment, then got up and smiled over to the other side at the soldier, who was worriedly looking at me.

"I'M OKAY!" I yelled. "THANK YOU!" I waved for a while, then dragged Tetra away as we proceeded to the castle. I could already see the gates, and even the hole we'd enter the dungeons from.

Dear Goddesses, we're almost there.

---

Thankfully, most of the Labyrennians had been drawn into the battles that took place inside and outside the Castle Town walls. So that meant not many of them were left to guard the castle. Tetra and I easily knocked out the remaining few with daggers or just avoided them. No killing. All this senseless bloodshed had sickened me anyway. The only blood I felt like having my hands tarnished with right now was Onox's and Veran's.

So we easily got to the biggest window the first level dungeons had. I brought out the bit of metal-melting acid I'd kept with me after my first mission involving it, and slowly poured a couple of drops on top of one of the four bars that blocked the way. Tetra grabbed it and slowly moved it, bending the bars. I dropped a couple of drops at the bottom as well, and Tetra finally bent the iron all the way back, snapping them off. Grinning at the product's effectiveness, Tetra ripped out the first bar and threw it behind her before helping me with the second.

When we were done with the two middle bars, the hole created was big enough for us to fit through, so I safely closed the lid of the acid bottle and hung it on my ammo belt before taking out my gun and sliding through the hole in the bars, pulling up by scarf over my nose at the same time.

Thankfully, there didn't seem to be too many guards here. Most of them were probably gone to fight anyway.

I slowly slid into he shadows and motioned for Tetra to follow me. She quickly slid into the hole and ran to my side, pushing herself against the wall.

"Let's go." I ordered. She nodded, and we both advanced, hand on our guns.

Soon, we reached the mass of cells that had my staff inside. Two guards were patrolling there silently. Just as one was about to pass by us, I jumped forward and pointed a gun right at his forehead. As I had planned, the guard couldn't help but scream, attracting the other guard's attention.

"Malin?" came a concerned voice.

"Go ahead. Call for him." I ordered in a dark voice.

"Faylen!" he called out, terrified.

"I'm coming!" came the concerned reply.

"Tetra." I nodded to my cousin. She nodded and pushed herself around the corner. Just as Faylen arrived and gasped at the scene, she jumped behind him and pointed a gun at the back of his head. The second guard let out a terrified squeak and started shuddering.

"Alright you two. Now do what we say, and we won't pull." I warned them in a low voice.

"Yes sir! Ma'am!" they both said at the same time, noticing our long hair and curves through the dim light that filtered through the hole we'd made.

"Good. Now move into those vacant cells right there, and do what my companion here says, got that?" I nudged my hostage, then motioned to a nearby cell with my head.

"Okay. Come on." Tetra led the two away.

"Don't forget to strip them of their communication chips!" I called out before I headed for the first cell.

"Got it." She replied and continued her way.

I continued forward and stopped at the first staff's cell. These cells were relatively okay, actually. I couldn't see too much filth or muck, and there was a window at the top that shone the light. Most of the staff was huddled up, and to my relief, I realized none of them were in chains. They were dirty and some of them were bruised, but I saw no blood anywhere. Thankfully, they'd been spared the atrocities Sheik had been through these past six months.

Running to the door, I caught the attention of a few people, who pointed at me and started whispering. Only one of them finally piped up.

"Who are you? You are not Labyrennian…" a servant finally noticed.

I grabbed my bottle of metal-melting acid and grunted as I uncorked it.

"I'm the person who will get you outta here." I simply replied, pouring some acid over the lock. In a matter of seconds, it melted and fell, clattering on the ground as I opened the cell door. "Let's go." I ordered.

A cheer erupted from inside the cell, every single one of the staff members clapping and whistling. From maids, to servants, to cooks and more, everyone started smiling and laughing.

I smiled along and opened the door wide. "Come on out. I urged them. "But don't leave just yet." I ordered.

No one replied to that. Instead, they all got up and exited the cell in a frenzy.

I let them on their own and proceeded to the next cell. In total, there were three huge cells full of staff, and it didn't take long before all of them were open.

Looking around, I tried to spot someone I knew. My gaze travelled to one of the giants dressed in black. I grinned, recognizing one of them.

"DARMANI!" I screamed over the noise.

Darmani turned around in my direction and looked over the crowd, trying to find who had called him. I waved at him, making a passage through the crowd of people as I ran for him.

"DARMANI!" I called again once I was close. His eyes finally drifted to me, and widened when I jumped and hugged him.

"Miss?" he called.

I chuckled, realizing he couldn't recognize me. I pulled down my black scarf and grinned. "It's me, Darmani! Zelda!" I laughed.

"ZELDA!" he gasped in relief and hugged me back tightly as I purred, once again feeling the comfort of my friendly bodyguard's body. "Dear Din, Zelda, I was so scared for you! Just being trapped in here, knowing I couldn't help you! It killed me! I'm so sorry, Your Majesty, you have every right to fire me." He let go of me and bowed.

"It's alright Darmani. Besides, look where your awesome influence got me to." I twirled around on one foot, showing off my ninja outfit, as well as exposing the belt of daggers and the gun on both my thighs.

"I must say, your Majesty, before long, you won't need bodyguards anymore…" Darmani whistled, impressed.

"No, no one can ever replace you, you big fluffy teddy bear." I grinned and hugged him again. We stayed enlaced for a moment, then I broke away and looked at the bustling crowd of servants. "Darmani, here's your chance to redeem yourself. When Tetra comes back, we'll direct you out of the dungeons, and into the main servants quarters' room. I want EVERYONE who is Hylian in this castle to gather there." I ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness." He nodded seriously.

"Good, cause here comes Tetra." I grinned as I spotted my cousin running for me, fraying herself a passage through the crowd.

Once she got next to me, we did our secret handshake, just for fun, then grinned.

"Alright, Tet, it's time to go!" I took her hand and pulled her towards the door leading outside. "EVERYONE! FOLLOW ME!" I called out. Everyone's attention turned to me, and suddenly, the whispering started again. I idly wondered why until someone in the crowd screamed out.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"

"Oh." I chuckled sheepishly. "Yea, okay, you've probably never seen this side of your Queen, but just follow me!" I encouraged them, opening the door. Tetra went in before me, drawing her gun and surveying around.

"Hallway's clear!" she called back to me. I turned to Darmani.

"Darmani, make sure no one stays behind." I nodded.

"Yes, your Majesty." He nodded. I smiled back at him, then exited, hand lingering over my gun.

Tetra advanced to the next corridor, then after a moment, made a 'coast is clear' movement with her hand. I nodded and leaded everyone out.

We proceeded like that for a while, until Tetra finally made me the sign that the servant's quarters' door was in view. I nodded and made a sign for everyone to pass me by as I stood behind to make sure we weren't being followed.

Thank Nayru I did, because not a second later, a gunshot ran from behind the group. Panicked cries started arousing from the staff, but I calmed them down with a wave of my hand. Holding my gun up, I turned around and peeked around the corner. I gasped as I spotted a few armed Labyrennian guards running for us.

Tightening my grip on my gun, I suddenly whirled around and shot a bullet, trying to aim as best as I could. Thankfully, my target hit as I caught a guard in the leg, making him trip and stopping the ones behind him. I took the chance to fire some shots at the ones who had stopped behind. Then, I retreated around my wall to catch my breath. Looking at my staff, I realized they were all looking at me wide eyed. I ignored them and turned my head towards the front.

"_TETRA! RUN TO OUR MEETING POINT, I'LL JOIN YOU THERE ONCE I TAKE CARE OF THIS!"_ I screamed out in Hylian.

"_Alright!"_ came the yelled reply, followed by "Follow me, everyone!"

Smiling proudly, I turned around the corner and shot again, diving down on the ground to avoid getting hit by a bullet. My heart was pounding a hundred miles an hour as I shot down the three that were left, almost getting hit in the process. Without wanting to linger on for another moment, I quickly rushed around the hallway, towards the door to the servants' quarters' main room.

Grabbing the doorknob, I violently turned it and pulled the door open, slamming it behind me afterwards.

Pushing myself against the door and breathing heavily, I ignored the worried stares and cries from the staff, instead plopping down on the ground.

"Tetra." I called.

"I'm here." My cousin ran to my side and kneeled next to me. "Are you hurt?" she inquired worriedly.

"No, just panicked. And I'm pretty sure my gun's gonna run out of ammo soon." I noted.

"We can reload while we're here and then go save the Ministers…" she suggested.

"Yea, that's what I'm gonna do." I looked up at a nearby servant. "You, please get us each a cup of water." I ordered.

"Yes, your Majesty." The servant rushed off.

Tetra and I stayed in silence, idly listening to the whispers around us, until the water arrived. Thanking the servant with a nod, I grabbed my cup and greedily gulped down the water. Tetra did the same, and we both gave the servant our empty cups at the same time.

"Alright. Let's reload, then leave." I unlatched a pack of bullets from my ammo belt and opened the bottom of my gun, slamming the bullets into their slots before closing the lid and aiming at a nearby couch.

"Careful." I called. Everyone moved away as I took aim and shot. The bullet pierced easily through the leather, and, with a satisfied grin, I blew the smoke away from the barrel and got up, helping Tetra up as well. "Let's go. We gotta save the Ministers, then head down to the battlefield to help the boys." I told her. She nodded diligently. I smiled. She was such an awesome and loyal friend.

"Whoa whoa whoa." Darmani cut through the crowd. "You're not going down to fight, are you? No. Please, your Majesty, reconsider! It's too dangerous for you!" he objected.

"Darmani, hush. I can handle myself as well as anyone else. Plus, Link needs my help. And to top it all off." I grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, exiting along with Tetra. I just stopped to look back at him and smiled. "I'm not the type of Queen who sits idly on her Throne and waits for her subjects to win her battles. I'm gonna take action."

And with that, I closed the door and headed for the dungeons again.

---

The trip back to the dungeons was uneventful. As we opened the door to Level Two, we both took out our guns and looked around carefully. No guards in sight…

"HALT!"

The Labyrennian didn't even have time to say anything else before Tetra whipped around and shot him. The man fell down, dead. I blinked, surprised, and turned to Tetra, who was angrily glaring at the man.

"That was for hurting Sheik, you bastard." She gritted her teeth and blew the smoke from her gun before proceeding.

Still surprised, I blinked again a few times, then followed her.

Soon enough, we got to our ministers' cell and pulled up our scarves over our noses. I took our element of surprise as time to check on them. They didn't seem wounded too much, couple bruises here and there, yet they were mostly dirty, above all. Sighing in relief, I checked the place. It wasn't as bad as what Sheik and Link had been given, and thankfully, none of them seemed in too much of a bad condition.

It didn't take long for the Ministers to notice us. Minister Wave, if I recalled, pointed at me and gasped.

"Who are you!?" she demanded in a commanding tone.

"The person who will save you." I smirked, bringing my hand to my hips and unlatching the bottle of acid. I looked at the quantities and frowned, though. It wouldn't be enough to melt the lock.

Nonetheless, I poured the remaining two drops over the metal and frowned deeper when the metal simply hissed and disintegrated at the top.

"We need to find another way to break the lock, cause the keys aren't around here." Tetra noted.

"I think I know how." I whipped out my gun, causing a few ministers to gasp. "Move away from the door." I advised.

In a matter of seconds, everyone had cuddled up on the other side of the roomy cell, away from the door. Crouching to reach the lock's height, I aimed straight at the lock, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

A shot was taken, followed by the sound of shattering metal. Grinning, I stood up and examined my handiwork. Loosened by the little acid drops, the lock had shattered on impact with the bullet.

"Alright everyone." I swung the door open. "Head count." I grinned, making a move to invite them out.

The first one who moved was Minister Wave. In these rough times, she looked pretty much like the leader of the Ministers, which was ironic, since she was only 25, a couple of years older than me.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs was pretty small for her age, but had an imposing presence nonetheless. She looked really athletic and looked pretty strong to me. On normal days, she'd be very jumpy, but in times like this, she looked very serious. She had long light brown hair that went halfway down her back and was a bit ruffled and dirty from her stay in the castle dungeons. Her tan skin blended in with the darkness of the dungeons as she advanced for me, light blue eyes piercing through me and analysing my every detail, trying to figure out who I was. I gave her a friendly glance, since she couldn't see my smile through my scarf, then let her out.

"Next." I called.

Slowly, a second one got up. This one was a male.

"Ah, Minister Mike." I chuckled, seeing as the 27 year old Minister of Sports and Leisure was a bit suspicious. But following Minister Wave's footsteps, he slowly advanced.

Minister Mike was of average height and looked fit, but that's not what I liked on him. What I liked was his hair. Though a bit ruffled and dirty, his long brown strands hung behind his head, and in front, his bangs covered his left eye diagonally. Sweet NAYRU that's an awesome way to do your hair. He was wearing a double-sleeved shirt with a snowboarding icon on it, yet it was ripped and frayed in many places.

"Nice hair." I commented wryly as he stepped out.

"Thanks, I guess." He replied in a low voice and went over by Minister Wave's side.

"Alrighty then…" I waited for the next one to get up.

My second male minister got up and headed for me… I think his name was… Derek. Yeah! Well, he was the Minister of Health, and ironically enough, looked like he was the best off from everyone present. His relatively short brown hair was neat, compared to the rest, and piercing blue eyes gazed at me as he advanced. I smiled, realizing that he must have trusted me. He WAS the oldest and most experienced one from the new ministers, at 30 years of age, after all.

I motioned for the other ministers to get up.

"Come on, I don't have all day." I rolled my eyes. "I have a battlefield to go to and Hylians to help." I chuckled, eyeing Tetra. She rolled her eyes and chuckled along.

"I THINK… IT'S SAFE TO SAY… We trust you." Darunia got up, carrying a sleeping Minister Saria in his arms. Despite her young age, at 25, and his old age, at 34, they were a perfect match for each other. He always seemed to be there to hug her when she was in trouble.

And finally, the last two Ministers came out.

One of them was a veteran, Rauru, and it surprised me to see that the relatively old man, at 42, had survived in these conditions. I grinned as the Minister of Economy passed me by, then concentrated on the last one, a girl who was new at this.

Her name was Renee, and she was 27 years old. The Minister of Arts and Culture had medium-long red hair that curled slightly. But not natural red, more like crimson red. That's one of the many reasons that made her stand out. To my slight amusement, she was still wearing her usual style of clothing, a hoodie and jeans with black fingerless gloves. Under her arm was preciously saved her black scrapbook that she probably smuggled from under the guards' noses.

"Always drawing, I see." I chuckled as she passed by, and closed the cell door when all of them were out.

Then, I turned to face them, Tetra standing by my side.

"So… Like… Who are you?" Wave asked.

"Why? It's not like you'll change your course if I tell you who I am." I chuckled.

"Maybe." Derek intervened.

"Come on, you've already followed me once, why not do it again?" I shrugged.

"We followed you for like, five minutes." Renee noted.

"Yeah." Mike agreed.

"Oh… Well, not really. The veterans have been following me for over five years now, and the newcomers, for two years." I grabbed my scarf and finally pulled it down. "Why not do it again?" I grinned.

The answer was collective and imminent.

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

I chuckled, then rolled my eyes. "Unfortunately, that's what they call me." I sighed.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing here?" Darunia asked.

"I'm here to get you out of this hellhole. A Hylians VS Labyrennians battle is taking place in Castle Town and Hyrule Field, so make it quick cuz I wanna get a piece of the action." I grinned.

"But you really don't seem like the type to even WIELD a gun, Your Majesty!" Mike objected.

"Proved ya wrong." I twirled my gun in my hands and took a shot in the air.

"She got you there." Derek whispered over to Mike. The latter crossed his arms and frowned.

"Alright, come on. Tetra." I called. She pulled down her scarf as well and nodded, proceeding forward towards the door to scout ahead. In the mean time, I counted them.

"Head count, is everyone here?" I asked, counting them.

Seven. Seven people. Weren't we supposed to be like… eight?

"Where's… Minister CC?" I finally asked, dreading the answer.

There was an uneasy shuffle through the ministers' ranks, then finally, Minister Renee stepped forward and bowed.

"It is our sad duty to inform you that he has fallen." She whispered.

My world cracked into pieces. One of my ministers…? Died…? I stood on my spot, frozen in shock and horror.

"The day the castle got assaulted, most of us were fighting off the Labyrennians, and he got carried away, knocking out a Labyrennian soldier and grabbing his gun. He was about to shoot when someone else shot him down. Bullet in the back. It was his end." Minister Wave explained sadly.

"What of the body?" I asked, trembling.

"The Labyrennians burned it to show us there would be no mercy." Rauru spoke up in his deep wise voice.

"I… I…" I staggered back and leaned against the wall. Sure, I'd killed a lot before. I'd seen many people fall as well. But never EVER had I learned that someone so intimate to me had died. I was about to cry, but Tetra slid into the door and motioned to me.

"We're lucky. No guards anywhere. It should be a clear run towards the meeting spot." She informed me.

I gulped down my tears and nodded. I couldn't let my feelings interfere in battle. I'd learned that long ago. Taking a deep breath and steeling myself, I walked past them.

"We shall arrange him a proper burial after all this is over." I breathed out calmly. "Now follow me if you don't want to follow his steps." I ordered coldly.

No one replied to that. Instead, they just followed me as we made a break for the servants' quarters' main room.

---

Once there, I led them inside and made sure everyone was there. Everyone was silent as I looked over them, then finally smiled. "Okay, it's night already, so I'm gonna ask you to take a shower or something and go to sleep. Take turns. Do NOT get out of the servants' quarters no matter what. I will send someone to get you when the castle is clear and safe." I told them.

"Yes Ma'am." A collective response came from the entire crowd of Hylians.

I smiled at them, then pulled up my scarf again. Then, I turned to Tetra and urged her to do the same.

"Let's go." She nodded after she'd finished.

"Yeah. We got ourselves a battle to win. It's now or never. We Rise or Fall." I grinned from under my scarf, locking and loading my gun with a click before opening the door and running out, followed by Tetra, leaving behind everyone's astonished glares.

_****************_

_I'd give it all for her heart,_

_If I was a King, I'd give away my kingdom,_

_Treasures and crowns wouldn't mean a thing_

_If I only had her heart..._

_If I only had her heart!_

_~Boys' Theme (Kingdom for a Heart- Sonata Arctica)_

_--------_

**Author Notes:**

**Zelda's last phrase = familiar? ;)**

**So I ran out of people to give themes to, but still had a couple of awesome songs I wanted to share with you guys, so I decided to give each gender a theme song. So this is the theme song for all the boys, and next chapter will be the theme song for all the girls.**

**By the way, the poem at the beginning is copyrighted to me. I didn't even use rhyme dictionairies! I'm proud of myself now =3 This must have been the only successful poem I've ever made in my life! ^^**

**Okai then: Cameos. Here is the list of the people who won a cameo and are featured in this story:**

**-Wavebreeze: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wave.**

**-Ljjpz1: Minister of Sports and Leisure, Mike.**

**-Quokka (formerly known as Kage-Nay-Chan): Minister of Arts and Culture, Renee.**

**-Link's Bro 117: Minister of Health, Derek.**

**-CC: deceased Minister of Justice, CC**

**Well, that last one was supposed to be a full cameo, but since we're not friends anymore, I decided to kill him ^^ By the way, sorry Wave, now I regret having you tell Zelda that CC's dead =P**

**In any case, hope you liked this chapter, and stay tuned for the next! We will pick up from exatcly where we stopped.**

**Next posting date: *insertdayhere*, August 13, 2009**

**PLEASE, KUDASAI, SIL-VOUS-PLAIT, HADJIS, IZAMOUMKEN, POR FAVOR LEAVE A REVIEW! =D**


	12. Did you know Tetra doesn't mind gore?

**Author Notes:**

**By the way, sorry once again about the skipped chapter, I can't hit myself enough X( I think I got a bruise on my forehead =P**

**Blah, I'm panicking now! I was too busy designing an RPG video game (it's so much fun to make! =D) to realize that I only have a week to write Chapter 13!!! I'm never gonna make it! O_e**

**Oh well. Such a shame =P Just kidding, of course I'll write! ^^**

**Okay, well, enjoy this chapter. Last time Zelda will fight on a battlefield. Hope you like it.**

**Rated T13+ for bloody, gory and disturbing moments for people who have strong imaginations like me and can make a movie in their heads out of all the scenes, and because Sheik doesn't pay attention to his language when he's anxious.**

**_-----------_**

_I'm so tired of being here,_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears._

_And you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave,_

_Your presence still lingers,_

_And it won't leave me alone!_

_These wounds won't seem to heal!_

_This pain is just too real!_

_There's just so much that time cannot erase..._

_****************_

We didn't take the dungeon hole back. Instead, we sneaked out the main entrance, since most of the Labyrennian guards were already dead or gone to fight.

But I surveyed the land mass. It would take too much time before we made it to Link's whereabouts. I sighed, and put my gloved fingers in my mouth, whistling loudly. "ONI!" I then screamed as loud as I could.

A few seconds later, as if answering my call, the shadow hunter appeared in a nearby shadow and ran for us. Stopping right in front of us, he kneeled.

"May I help you, My Queen?" he asked politely.

"Yes please. Are you capable of transporting Tetra and I to Link's and Sheik's whereabouts?" I asked.

"Of course." He stood up and held out his hands. Tetra and I silently took his hands, and within a moment, we were travelling in the shadows.

---

We reappeared behind a small stone structure on the sides of Hyrule Field, where the battle was still going on, regardless of the advancing hour. I immediately looked around and spotted Link and Sheik a bit far away, shooting some foes.

"LINK!" I called.

He immediately dropped his gun and looked at me, getting up and running for me, enlacing me in his arms for a moment before letting go and looking straight in my eyes.

"How'd it go?" he asked in a small voice.

"Perfect. A couple of Labyrennians got in the way, but it's all good now. Both the staff and the Ministers have been taken to a safe place until this is all over." I reported.

"Great job, I'm really really proud of you." He hugged me again and kissed me deeply before heading back to Sheik's side and picking up his… rifle, maybe? I'm not an expert on guns, I can't tell.

I took the time to analyse them. They looked pretty okay, if not a bit dirty and tired. Link had a couple of slashes over his arm that he could have gotten during close combat, and Sheik had some over his torso, but they looked fine.

"Here, drink up, it'll give you some strength to keep fighting." I kneeled next to them and handed each of them a blue potion.

They both grabbed the bottle simultaneously, nodded as a thanks, then downed the content and gave the bottles back to me at the same time. I laughed and took them, hooking them to my belt.

I then turned around and looked at Oni. He was standing up, his cape billowing behind him in the wind, but in the darkness of the night, I couldn't see what he wore underneath the cloak he never met me without.

Though I was not completely blind either and realized his chest was rising up and down faster than a normal human's should be going, and his back was slightly arched. Wondering what was wrong, I travelled my eyes over the side of his body, occasionally finding spots of blood on his deep brown cloak, then realized something was really wrong when I noticed something dripping from under him. I didn't need to have night vision to know what it was.

"ONI!" I exclaimed, pushing myself up and running for him, supporting him just as he fell backwards, then pushed himself back up again.

"I-I'm alright…" he stammered faintly.

"No you're not!" I gritted my teeth, annoyed. Were ALL guys like this, or what?

Putting an arm over his shoulders, I helped him walk back to us and set him against the stone structure we were hiding behind. I slowly moved my hands to his hood to take it down, but his hands caught my wrists in a rough movement.

"No. I wish to remain unknown." He breathed weakly.

"Okay." I respected his wish, putting down my hands and instead unhooking the third bottle of blue potion I was carrying with me. I handed it to him and he gratefully took it, swinging the contents down before wiping his invisible mouth with his sleeve and handing the bottle back to me.

"Thank you, your Highness." He breathed, grunting as he pushed himself up.

I carefully watched his movements and was immediately at his side as he tripped forward.

"I'm alright now. I must go and take my place in the midst of battle." He grunted in obvious pain.

"No, you're not, because you're tired and wounded! Rest for a while!" I objected.

"I cannot. I am a Sheikah warrior, and one of the strongest of my kind. And as a Sheikah, I am loyal to the Royal Family of Hyrule. I must go and fight." He panted slightly, and I could even slightly hear his teeth gritting.

"No, great Sheikah warrior or not, you're still human, and as a human, you need your rest. Now get some rest before I make it a royal order." I grinned. Sometimes, it's good to be Queen.

He stood silent for a while, pondering, then finally let out a sigh and let himself drop on the ground, putting his back against the wall and leaning his head back as well.

"Now rest, Tetra and I will go get you guys some food and water." I whispered.

"Thank you, your Majesty." He replied in a voice just above a breath.

"Call me Zelda." I smiled. "And you should have told me you were pushing yourself so hard. Tetra and I could've just walked back." I frowned.

"It is my duty to serve the Royal Family, even if it's at the cost of my own life…" his already faded voice faded away and his head drooped slightly. I smiled and stepped back, realizing he was either asleep or unconscious. Either way, he couldn't go to battle, so it was okay.

I got up from his side and headed for Sheik, Tetra and Link.

"What happened to him?" Sheik was the first to inquire.

"He just pushed himself too hard. He'll be okay soon. Typical dude." I reported, making Link and Sheik crack grins. "Hey, Tetra and I will go back to the castle and get you guys another round of potions and food. Is that okay?" I asked.

"Yea, just be careful." Link advised, shooting once more before getting up and hugging me. "The road to the castle is long and dangerous. So just be careful, okay?" he smiled.

"I will." I nodded enthusiastically, happy that he was finally letting me do what I want on my own accord.

"Hey, you know, you don't need to make it sound so agonizingly painful." Sheik smirked, firing another shot before getting up as well. "Not when you've got this baby around." He pulled out some keys from his pocket and pushed a button on a remote, making a beeping noise.

A moment later, shadows massed at his feet, and a heavy-looking motorcycle appeared in front of him. He smirked and put the keys away.

"Dear Nayru!" Tetra gasped. "Sheik! Why didn't you ever tell me you had a super cool ride!?" she looked amusedly offended.

"Because it's not mine, it's Oni's." he chuckled.

"You sure he'd let us ride his bike?" I looked indecisive.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry about it!" Sheik laughed, followed by Link. They know something we don't, I tell you.

"Alrighty then…" I advanced for the motorcycle and ran my hand across the polished surface. "It's pretty." I commented.

"Not just pretty, lethal too." Sheik harshly patted the right side, and suddenly, a weapon rack shot out from the side. I jerked, jumping back as Sheik laughed. "So you always got weapons by your side." He smiled and grabbed a couple of those huge swords, handing one to Link. The latter nodded in thanks and stuck it in the ground, leaning on it.

"Wow…" I blinked, impressed. "That's just… wow." I chuckled.

"One more thing. This baby goes so fast, you gotta put on these glasses so you won't harm your eyes." Sheik opened the back trunk and took out a pair of black bordered glasses. We both took one and put the strap behind our heads, pulling the lens over our eyes.

"Kay, we're ready to go then?" I asked.

"Yep. You can ride this thing as fast as you want. The controls are the same as a car, but instead of a wheel, you got your handles. This thing's a Sheikah creation, so it also comes in with a built in shield. So when you're passing through a war zone, just push the button next to the accelerator and activate your shield. One more thing. Don't ever stop abruptly. Take it slow, then stop." He advised.

"Cool, thanks." I smiled at him and got on the bike. Tetra quickly mounted behind me, and, making sure she was holding on well to me, I revved up the engine, winked at the boys, then turned the motorcycle around and pushed on the gas pedal. Even before I could've said "HOLY CRAP!", we were already speeding off towards the castle.

---

The ride was uneventful, and even if there were events that happened, they passed too fast for me to see. A COUPLE OF TIMES, Tetra activated the shield for me, but I couldn't even tell why. Dear Nayru! This thing was going over a hundred miles per hour! My cheeks were frozen, even if we were in the midst of summer, and I couldn't even feel the exposed skin around my lips and nose. I KNEW I should've put my scarf over my nose before we left…

Thankfully, as Sheik said, the trip didn't last long. In the darkness of the night, I spotted the front lights of the castle and started slowing down. Seventy-five mph… Fifty… Twenty-five…

We hit zero right in front of the castle. Quickly getting off, I shook my head at first to clear the blurs, then looked back at the bike.

"Where are we supposed to hide this?" I sighed.

As if following my voice commands, the bike disintegrated into black particles and retreated into a nearby shadow. I cringed.

"Hope we can get it out of there later on…" I sighed, then turned around, running for the castle, followed by Tetra.

---

The trip to the kitchens was uneventful as well. The battle was starting to quiet down. Hopefully, the Hylians were the ones quieting the Labyrennians. I didn't cross too many guards in the hallways, and the ones I did cross, I convinced myself I was helping the Hylians by shooting them down.

In any case, once inside the kitchen, Tetra grabbed a green string bag as I headed for the huge refrigerator at the back. I first threw her a couple of ice packs, then followed with five cans of iced tea. After that came three plastic containers of pasta salad and three ready-to-go chicken wraps. To end it all, I headed for the nearby cupboard and took out a box of soft brownie cookies and threw her a few individual packs. She packed it all and added in some utensils to eat while I filled up three bottles of water.

Finally putting my empty potion bottle in the sink, I switched them for the water bottles that went on my hips and clipped them on safely. I also ran for the medicine cabinet and grabbed a couple of rolls of bandages, antiseptic and towels and stuffed them into a plastic bag that I then threw at Tetra. She caught it and stuffed it into the green string bag, and with that, our preparations were complete.

We dashed back out towards the front door and exited easily. Damn the Labyrennian security sucks. Maybe it's because we killed them all?

In any case, we moved back out and stood out in the same place where we arrived.

"So like, now how do we call that super cool ride of Oni's?" Tetra sighed, slinging the green string bag over her back.

"I don't know, guess we do what we do to get Oni to come to us." I chuckled. "Yo Oni's bike!" I screamed out, making both of us erupt in laughter.

We stopped laughing, though, when we heard an engine come to life and suddenly, the bike we left behind shot up from in the shadows in front of me, startling me.

"Wow…" Tetra raised a brow after a moment of surprised silence.

"More like, oh my Din, wow." I blinked and put my goggles down over my eyes, lifting up my scarf and closing it over my nose, sticking the end into my goggles so that the wind wouldn't blow it away. Tetra watched me, then imitated me before we both got up on the motorcycle. Before I had time to say "Here we go again", we were speeding off towards the boys' location.

---

As we slowly came to a stop where the boys were, we realized they weren't holding their guns anymore. Instead, they were leaning on their swords, both Link and Sheik sitting on the ground and chatting. I noticed Oni was still asleep and smiled.

"Hey guys." I called, stopping the bike and pulling up my goggles, putting down my scarf at the same time.

"Zelda!" Link's face split into a wide smile, relived and happy to see me.

"Me too!" Tetra announced, getting off the bike. "And I brought food!" she announced, putting up the green string bag with a triumphant grin.

"TETRA!" the two boys cried out in relief, laughing all over again.

"Fine, ignore me." I rolled my eyes and got off the bike. Instead of dropping, though, it stood upright. Damn Sheikah technology.

Chuckling to myself, I got up and headed for Oni. Kneeling next to him, I grabbed where I estimated his shoulder to be and gently shook him.

He groaned and slowly got up, immediately awakened. I helped him lean against the wall and smiled.

"We got dinner for you..." I whispered.

"Thank you so much, your Majesty." He breathed.

"Call me Zelda, for the last time." I rolled my eyes. "You did it once, you can do it again!" I giggled.

"I can't... As a Sheikah, it is-"

"Yea yea, it's your role to protect the Royal Family of Hyrule-"

"And respect them." He cut in. "I cannot call you by your name, it would mean disrespect. I should not have done it in the first place." He had a sad tone in his voice.

"It's alright. Here." I turned around and waved at Tetra. She opened her bag and threw me, in order, the plastic plate of pasta salad, the sandwich, the can of iced tea and a fork. I caught them all and put them in front of Oni. "Here. Eat up. It'll do you good." I smiled.

He stood silenced for a moment, then nodded.

"I cannot thank you enough, Your Majesty." He now had a grateful tone in his voice.

"Yes, you can thank me by calling me by my name." I rolled my eyes.

He didn't reply to that, merely grabbed the pasta salad, took off the plastic wrap, grabbed his fork and started eating.

I sighed in desperate amusement and turned off, throwing him a bottle of water as well before heading over to Link.

He was also munching hungrily on his sandwich, happy that he had finally gotten some food. Sheik looked the same and enjoyed his dinner as Tetra cuddled under his arm.

Smiling, I also sat down next to Link. Noticing me, he extended his arm and pulled me next to him. I smiled serenely and put my head against his chest, purring slightly.

"So... What happened while we were gone?" Tetra broke the pounding silence around us.

"Nothing special. There was some sort of a cease-fire a couple minutes after you left, and the major part of the battle had already moved away from us. I'm afraid that we will have to go in for close combat tomorrow." Link sighed out.

"Then I get to come with you." I quickly cut in, already knowing the answer.

Link sighed. "Zelda, there is NO WAY you are heading in for close combat. Not only will there be swords, but pistols as well. It's too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt. So you and Tetra will stay here." He ordered.

"Nothing in the world you say can stop me from going out there and fighting, Link." I objected.

"Zelda, listen to yourself! It's too dangerous, and I can't risk your life! I can't even fight, knowing I have to keep an eye on you!" he raised his tone slightly.

"Yeah, well, why would you want to keep an eye on me!? Don't you think I can take care of myself?" I raised my tone over his.

"It's not that I don't trust you! I know you can fight as well as any other soldier here, but one mistake could be fatal! Not even! Shot in the back, and you're gone forever!" he let me go to look at me in the eyes.

"I pretty much took care of myself the first time I went to battle!"

"That was a small battle! This one's a full-blown brawl!"

"Full-blown brawls are what I trained for!"

"Why don't you understand!?"

"I UNDERSTAND! THE ONLY ONE WHO WON'T COOPERATE IS YOU!"

At this point, we were both standing up and pointing at each other. But Link didn't reply to this comment. I smirked, thinking that I had finally won, when he suddenly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest, burying his face in my hair.

"I care, Zelda. I won't cooperate because I care, and I don't want you to witness the atrocities of war..." he breathed into my ear.

"Link, I've already experienced much worse... I've been waiting for this chance... This chance is all I've got to prove myself to you..." I replied back, tears massing on the corners of my eyes.

"Why would you want to prove yourself to me, Zelda? I love you just as you are." He let go of me and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Because..." I bit my lip and let the first tear roll off my cheek. "Because I want to make you proud!" with that, I lunged forward and hugged him, sobbing into his shirt.

"You don't need to prove yourself to me, or make me proud... I love you just the way you are, and I think you're perfect just like this... Don't ever change." He hugged me tight.

We stood together for a while until he sighed and broke up, sitting on the ground. I followed him and cuddled in his arms.

"Fine..." he sighed. "I'll let you go IF you promise to stay close to me at all times. And as SOON as you feel tired, promise me you'll tell me. If you EVER get hurt, you have to tell me." He demanded.

"I promise I will do all those things." I smiled, happy that I'd finally won.

"And please, promise me you'll be careful..." he finished with a proud smile.

"I swear it on my title as the Queen of Hyrule." I finished after him with a grin.

"Great. Now that that's settled, we can turn the soap opera off and get some rest." Sheik cut in, imitating a TV remote that he pointed at us.

We both laughed and snuggled closer. As I heard the boys finishing up on their little dinner, I closed my eyes and let the roaring of the fire nearby lull me to sleep. The warmth of Link's body against mine, something that I hadn't felt for almost a year now, helped the process by sending me waves of comfort and confidence, quickly resulting in a deep, recovering sleep.

---

The next morning, I woke up, being shaken by gentle, yet panicked hands.

"What is it, love?" I got up and yawned, looking at Link who swung his magnetic sheath over his back, attaching the huge sword that came with it over his back before turning to me.

"The cease-fire has ceased. It's our cue. So move it before I change my mind." He smiled.

"Kay..." I moved up and stretched. "But I only got daggers and two guns. Won't help much. Got an extra sword to spare?" I asked.

"Yep." He whistled, and Oni's bike came rushing to us. He walked over to its right side and patted it slightly, stepping back. The weapon holder I saw yesterday whipped back out, and Link held out his hand. "Pick whichever you feel comfortable in." He grinned.

"Thanks." I nodded in acknowledgement and walked up to it, bushing a few hilts with my hand, and weighing a few before picking out a sword similar to the one I used so long ago, bare hilted, long, thin, large, and deadly.

Stepping back and swinging a few tryout swipes, I nodded with a smile and reached up, taking the magnetic sheath that came with it and putting it around my shoulders and arms. I then hooked my sword on my back and turned to Link.

"So where are Sheik and Tetra? And Oni?" I asked, noticing we were alone.

"We went to get breakfast..." Sheik suddenly reappeared from out of the shadows, carrying Tetra who held up a bag with a gentle smile.

"And I went to get news from the battle." Oni reappeared next to me and bowed slightly. I groaned in desperation, making everyone but me and Oni laugh.

"So?" Link asked, directed at Oni, while Tetra opened her bag and started distributing food to everyone.

"The starting battle is a small one, yet it seems to be gaining intensity by the minute. I'm afraid that by the next half-hour, the blood bath will have started again." Oni shook his head slightly, sighing.

"We must go stop it before that starts!" I gasped, lunging towards the battlefield before Link grabbed me by my sheath's straps and pulled me back.

"Not without breakfast, you won't." He smirked and pointed at Tetra, who was handing me an apple with a smile.

---

"So... You sure you're not coming?" I asked Tetra for the millionth time.

"I'm not made to fight. I'll stay behind and heal everyone either one of you guys bring here." She looked around, surveying the little makeshift beds she made all around the place. First aid kits were strewn just about everywhere, and bandage rolls were on every spot a human eye could see.

"Very well." I nodded understandingly. Tetra always had been reluctant to fight, even if we were just sparring. I guess I couldn't force her.

"Alright then... Be careful, for Nayru's sake, I don't want to be treating you by the end of this huge mess." She got up and hugged me.

"I promise on everything I have that I'll be careful and not take anything too far." I promised her with a smile.

"Zelda!" I turned around and saw Sheik waving at me hurriedly. All three boys were geared up and ready to go, and were already walking off.

"I gotta go." I turned around to Tetra.

"I realized." She chuckled. "Look, I just want you to be careful, that's all I'm asking. Be safe, as much as you can during a battle, and don't get distracted, for Farore's sake." She advised me.

"That's what everyone says." I rolled my eyes. "But I'll be careful. Promise." I then hugged her and held tight for a while before I let go and smiled. "Seeya later, Tet."

"Later, Zel."

I nodded with a smile, then ran off, leaving her behind as I joined the boys on their perilous quest to stop this war...

Heh, I like movies...

---

At one point, Oni teleported us so we could get there faster, before things could get worse. So we reappeared on the sides of the battle, drawing our weapons. As for me, I pulled up my scarf over my nose and stood ready in a battle position.

"Alright. We meet back here in an hour if the battle hasn't waned. Break." Link ordered.

"Right." Both Oni and Sheik nodded at the same time, to Link's amusement. Immediately after, they disappeared in a nearby shadow and travelled off.

"As for you." He turned to me and kissed my forehead. "Let's be careful and kick some Labyrennian ass." He winked.

"Let's do it." I nodded. With that, we made sure our weapons were comfortable in our hands then with a collective battle cry, we rushed into the fray.

---

Memories of six months ago came back to me as soon as I swung my first blow. I remembered how I sneaked into army camp and fought alongside Link. And how badly he yelled at me after he found out it was me.

I cut through a Labyrennian, though my face was graced with a smile. Behind me, I felt Link swing in a 180 degree arc, cutting down the Labyrennians around him. I imitated him, warding off the ones assailing me.

"You're pretty good, you know." He grinned, turning to me for a moment, catching his breath.

"Thanks. Must have gotten it from you." I grinned.

"We'll be done soon." He lunged in with a jump attack, then back flipped back to my side.

"That's good to hear." I smiled gently, twirling around and swinging down a few more Labyrennians.

"I can see their forces diminish..." he noted.

"Yep. Thankfully, we could subdue them before they could overpower us. And all thanks to Holodrum." I smiled.

"And us." Link added with a wry grin, pulling his sword up to his chest to block an incoming bullet before swinging down his assailant.

"Yes, you. How'd you convince Midna to help us?" I asked, intrigued, switching my sword for my pistol. I raised my gun and started shooting the advancing Labyrennians, not waiting for them to get near.

"Well, wouldn't you think a cousin would refuse to help another cousin? Especially when she receives her cousin's and sister's husbands half-dead on her castle doorsteps." He chuckled, also pulling out his gun for now.

"You overdid yourself again, didn't you?" I sighed.

"Travelled for ten days straight over the ocean. By Sheikah transportation. Oni found a way to travel over the ocean's surface by pumping our power into himself and teleporting us. I'm telling you that dude's amazing. In any case, we reached Holodrum's shores on the eleventh day, and by then, we were exhausted and drained above any recovery. So we walked to the front door of the castle and collapsed there. The front guards later took us to the castle infirmary, and after like, four days of unconsciousness, we all woke up. Three days later, we were up and asked Midna for help and explained the situation. She immediately agreed and asked her husband to send the troops to Hyrule." He explained.

"Midna..." I sighed with a smile. "She's such an awesome cousin." I turned to face him with a smile.

"Yep. Now." He turned back and shot down a Labyrennian. "We have a bit more to go." He leaned in and kissed me lightly before turning around and running off towards the enemy soldiers.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and ran off in the opposite direction.

---

The battle completely ended two hours later. Link, Sheik and I met up in our meeting point, but Oni didn't come.

"You think he..." I trailed off faintly.

"No." Sheik immediately cut in. "He's not dead, I can feel him still." He narrowed his eyes, looking towards the castle drawbridge.

We both looked at where he was glaring at and realized he was looking at a cloud of smoke.

"What the hell is that?" I gasped.

"I don't know. Come on!" Sheik promptly disappeared in the shadows. Link quickly grabbed my hand and followed Sheik in the shadows.

We reappeared right next to the cloud of smoke. It rushed right past us and we started running after it.

"LOOK!" I screamed, pointing at the components.

It was actually a motorcycle, and right behind it, I could spot Oni's dark brown cloak billowing as he ran, chasing the motor bike.

"Oni!" Sheik screamed and disappeared into the shadows, following him.

"Come on." Link held my hand tighter and disappeared as well, following after the boys.

We held up the chase for some time, occasionally jumping out of the shadows to check the situation, then diving back in immediately.

I felt us slow down, though. And I realized Link was getting tired. Oni seemed to have inhuman stamina, and Sheik seemed fuelled by his feelings for Oni, which were still a mystery to me, but Link was weakening anyway.

"_Veran and Onox are making their escape on those bikes!"_ Sheik suddenly screamed in our minds.

"Don't let them get away!" I screamed out loud. "Link, get me a clear shot at those bikes!"I ordered.

"I'll try!" he dove into the shadows again just as I removed my gun. The next time we jumped out of the shadows, I put my gun up and aimed. It was a bit hard with a pistol, but I managed. The world seemed to slow down as I closed one of my eyes to aim better, and slowly, very slowly, I pulled the trigger.

The world sped up as the bullet fired. I held my breath as I watched it fly off. It sped up and passed Sheik, and travelled to Oni's side. It also passed him and finally hit its mark.

I didn't care who it hit as long as I heard both Veran and Onox scream: One in pain, the other in horror. Grinning I put my gun down and laughed.

"I DID IT!" I grinned.

"Watch out!" Link and Sheik suddenly screamed at the same time. My eyes travelled to the front, towards the motor bike. Onox was turned around, pointing a gun at me. I could see the murderous intent in his eyes as I locked gazes with him. I opened my mouth in a gasp and screamed in terror when he shot a bullet aimed straight at me.

We all seemed to slow down as the bullet travelled towards me. Suddenly, Oni took a steady grip on the ground and jumped.

"ONI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" I only had time to scream before I heard the seemingly-unstoppable Sheikah scream for the first time since I met him.

"ONI!" Sheik's voice towered over Onox's and Veran's evil laughter as they sped away, leaving Oni spread on the ground. We didn't continue chasing them, and slid to a stop next to him.

"ONI!" I screamed, falling out of Link's arms and stumbling next to him. "SPEAK TO ME!" I demanded.

"DEAR NAYRU! ONI SAY SOMETHING!" Sheik pleaded, kneeling next to the cloaked figure and grasping his shoulders.

"Listen Sheik... I want you to take me to your wife, Lady Tetra. I'm not sure she will be able to save me, but she'll be able to buy me the time I need to tell you something important..." he whispered.

"LINK, WE'RE OUTTA HERE! We gotta get to Tetra's!" he screamed behind him.

"Right!" my husband grabbed me by my arm. I saw Sheik cradle Oni's head into his lap and disappear into the shadows before we followed his example.

---

A minute later, we reappeared next to Tetra. She jumped slightly, but gasped, recognizing Oni in Sheik's arms. She put down a towel she was using for another wounded soldier and ran to our side.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" she asked.

"Tetra, PLEASE, DO SOMETHING!" Sheik pleaded.

"RIGHT!" she grabbed a nearby first aid kit and rushed to our side. "What happened?" she gasped.

"He was shot." Was all Link had to say before Tetra started grabbing tools and bandages from her case.

"Listen, Sheik, I want to tell you something..." Oni grunted out.

"YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME ANYTHING RIGHT NOW!" Sheik screamed and suddenly jumped over him, hugging him. "I THOUGHT I LOST YOU A FIRST TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE YOU A SECOND TIME!" he started sobbing into the dark brown cloth of Oni's cloak.

"I wish I had not gone the first time... I'm sorry..." Oni muttered.

"SHUT UP AND SAVE YOUR BREATH!" Sheik yelled at him.

"I'm getting to work right now." Tetra announced, grabbing Oni's cloak and starting to pull it away.

"I wish to remain unknown..." Oni grunted.

"FUCK YOUR WISHES! I DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF THE WORLD KNOWS YOU'RE MY OLDER BROTHER!" Sheik finally exclaimed, pulling the cloak off of him.

I immediately looked at the new face. It looked... just like Sheik! If not a bit more matured, but the dirty blond hair and crystal blue eyes, clouded with pain, were still there. He was wearing a Sheikah uniform: Deep blue ripped shirt with a red Sheikah emblem on it.

On the bottom, he was wearing a tight white shirt that passed through his short sleeved blue shirt and stopped at the elbows and covered a bit of skin on his stomach. Deep blue cloth, tied at his wrists with a red string, covered the skin from his elbows to his wrists. His stomach was open, showing his belly button, then right under that, a pale blue belt held up white ripped shorts. On those shorts were two belts: one of them has some daggers strapped on it, and the other had an empty gun holster there. Then, under the shorts, he had deep blue tights with pale blue designs at the knees, and the tights were tied at the bottom with a red string. To end it all, black shoes went on his feet.

"Oni is your older brother!?" Tetra and I exclaimed at the same time.

"I lost him once..." he buried his face in his brother's dirty blond hair again. "I don't want to lose him again..." he sobbed out.

"Don't worry, Sheik, we'll save him." Tetra nodded and immediately started working. Her eyes travelled to the spot where Oni was clutching his clothes, stained with blood.

Tetra gently lifted Oni's fingers off the wound to see. Right there, on the left side of his stomach, was a deep hole, and blood was pouring out freely from the wound. The bullet was obviously very far inside of him.

"Look... Miss Tetra... If you can remove the bullet, I'll be able to heal myself... But I have to get the bullet out before trying anything." He panted.

"But that bullet's real deep... It'll hurt a lot if I try to pull it out." Tetra frowned.

"I'll endure all the pain in the world..." he turned to Sheik. "To be with my little brother once again..."

---

The makeshift operation took an hour. During that time, Tetra advised me to get some rest, or at least look away, as the sight would be gruesome. I turned around and laid down a bit further away from them and tried to get some sleep, but as soon as the operation started, Oni's screams of agony haunted me. I started crying in the first five minutes, clutching my ears so I wouldn't hear. Link and Sheik were left behind to hold Oni down while Tetra pulled the bullet out.

It sucked that the doctors were currently unable to perform a proper, anesthetised operation. They were all recovering right now. Plus, the infirmary's operation block needed a lot of preparation before starting an operation, and we didn't have that kind of time. If we wanted to save Oni, it was right now or never.

Trembling, I whimpered as another scream of pain reached my ears. I slowly got up and turned to Tetra, who was desperately trying to get the bullet out with a pair of pinchers.

"Can I help?" I asked shakily.

"Yes... You can get Oni the least bit of comfort. Do what you can to help him hold on." She answered without looking away.

"Right." I fumbled through her first aid kit to find some towels. Plunging them in a nearby bucket of icy water, I ran to Oni's side.

Link was holding down his bottom part with pressure on his thighs to stop him from moving too much, and Sheik was grasping his hands and stretched them out, whispering encouraging words to him as he made sure he wasn't moving.

I gently pushed Sheik away and kneeled in front of Oni. I then gently moved his head onto my lap and started wiping the sweat and tears away from his pained face with my towels.

"It'll be alright... I promise it'll be alright..." I whispered down at him.

"Sheik..." he moaned, screaming again.

"I'm here, dammit, I'm here! I'll always be here for you!" the crying Sheikah answered, gripping his hands tighter. "Squeeze as much as you want when it hurts." He sniffled, blinking some tears out of his eyes.

As if answering his request, Oni's grip tightened, and he tried twisting around. I firmly put my hands on his chest, averting my eyes from Tetra's working section. Even up until the Sheikah emblem he was bearing on his deep blue shirt, blood was smeared everywhere.

"I almost have it..." Tetra finally announced. "I got it, now I need to pull it out..." she muttered, leaning in closer to see better. I held back a groan of repulsion. How could she stand the sight of so much blood like it was nothing at all?! I guess just as I was a warrior, she was a healer...

"Please." Sheik looked up at her desperately. "Hurry up... I hate to see him suffering so much..." he sniffled.

"I'm doing my best..." Tetra replied faintly, concentrated on her operation. "Zelda, I need you to go get me a lot of towels, bandages. Now." She urgently ordered.

"Right." I gently lifted Oni's head off of my lap and ran to her first aid kit. Taking out the entire bag of rolls of bandages, as well as all the towels that were left, I swung those on my shoulder and grabbed the bucket, heading for Tetra as quickly as I could.

Once at her side, I put the stuff down.

"Alright, thanks, now I need your help." She grunted.

"Oh Nayru..." I paled, watching the mess her operation had made.

"It's nothing too bloody, don't worry." She smirked. "But as I pull the bullet out, another wave of blood will come out after it. I need you to gather a lot of towels, and as soon as I pull it out, apply them with as much pressure as you can on his wound. He's already lost a lot of blood, and I fear he won't be able to take much more." She explained.

"Not bloody my ass." I muttered shakily.

"Do it for Oni. And put some gloves on while you're at it." She simply said.

"Of course I will." I kneeled next to her and slid on some plastic gloves before grabbing the towels. "I'm ready." I nodded.

"Good, cause here it comes." With a final tug, she finally ripped the bullet out.

Through Oni's repeated screams of agony, I was able to press all the towels on my hand onto his wound and lock his pained voice out. Also struggling to keep him from moving too much, I pressed harder with every time he screamed.

"It's okay! It's out now!" I heard Sheik scream. "You'll be alright!" he cried out desperately.

"It hurts!" the shadow mercenary's strained voice exclaimed.

"I know it does! Hold on! I'll help you heal!" Sheik replied shakily, putting his hands on his chest. He glowed blue for a second, then closed his eyes.

Oni's screams of agony slowly became weary whimpers of pain. His eyes were fluttering and he was panting a lot.

"I think I can also try to help..." Link suggested, walking over to Sheik's opposite side and kneeling there. He then put his hands over Sheik's and glowed green for a second before also closing his eyes.

Soon, Oni's breaths went deeper and deeper and his eyelids slowly closed. A while later, he went limp, in a seemingly lethargic sleep.

That's when Sheik and Link fell back, sighing out in exhaustion.

"Great job, you guys. Now remove the towels, Zelda." Tetra ordered.

I slowly peeled off the blood drenched towels and looked at the wound. It was now a smaller hole, Sheik's, Link's and Oni's combined magic having closed most of it. Less blood was pouring out now. Tetra grabbed the bandages and tightly rolled a few layers over the wound, circling Oni's entire exposed abdomen in white cloth.

"Now, let's get him to the castle. He'll need a comfortable atmosphere to recover. Thankfully, his Sheikah stamina helped him to hold on and resist to blood loss longer than any other normal human." Tetra sighed out in relief. "But he'll be out like a light for a couple of days." She informed us.

"We'll take him to the castle and put him on one of our most comfortable beds." Link suggested.

"Thank you so much, Tet..." was all Sheik said as a reply.

"You're very welcome. But you have a lot of storytelling to do now." She smirked.

"I will... In time..." he yawned. "As in when I get some sleep." He chuckled.

"We all need some rest." I rolled my eyes.

"Come on. Let's go back to the castle." Link held his hand out for me and Tetra.

"I can't come now." Tetra shook her head. "I have a lot of soldiers to tend to." She motioned a bit behind her, when a whole lot of soldiers were lying on the ground, wounded.

"We'll call the medics from the castle for that. You need your rest. You did a great exploit today." I smiled.

"Thanks." She finally took off her bloody gloves and threw them in a nearby plastic bag. I imitated her, realizing I hadn't taken mine off either.

"Kay. But make it quick, some of these soldiers need immediate attention." She muttered.

"First thing we'll do when we get to the castle: get the medics." I assured.

"Kay. Let's go." Making sure no one was looking, Link grabbed my hand and Tetra's and Sheik took Oni's, and we travelled off.

---

We reappeared inside the castle a while later. I quickly took the lead, leading Link and Tetra towards the servants' quarters while Sheik took Oni upstairs to our quarters.

We got there in less than five minutes. Quickly slamming the door open, I startled everyone, including the ones who were asleep on the ground or huddled in corners.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" was the first response from the crowd.

I smiled at everyone and opened the door wider. Tetra walked in, followed by Link.

"PRINCE LINK!" the crowd cried out in joy.

"Hello." He laughed. "You did a great job, Zel." He kissed my forehead with a smile.

"Thanks." I smiled back, nodding.

"PRINCE LINK! YOU'RE BACK!" the Ministers suddenly exclaimed in unison.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Link chuckled.

"Excuse me, Sire, but if I may, it has been past half a year you have disappeared, and pretty much all hope of finding you alive had been lost." A servant noted.

"Oh, it's quite alright. Took me some time to get out of those stinky dungeons." He chuckled.

"Alright, now, we have more pressing issues." I cut in. "All medics, whether nurses or doctors, stand out please." I called.

A couple of people stepped out of the crowd, followed by more and more, until my entire crew of medics was in front of me.

"Good. Now. We have wounded soldiers in Hyrule Field. I want you to go with Tetra, and she'll show you where they are and what everyone's needs are. Take all your equipment and be ready to depart in fifteen minutes. GO!" I yelled.

The entire team of medics rushed out of the front door, heading towards the infirmary. I only caught the arm of one doctor and stopped him. He blinked, surprised, but waited by my side.

"As for the rest of you, the castle is now safe to navigate. Castle Town is freed, and Hyrule Field is good to travel on. Though I would suggest you stay in the castle for now, unless you need something from Zora's Domain or Death Mountain. But you are free to go out." I smiled at the rest.

A collective cheer erupted from the crowd of people, accompanied by claps and whistles.

"Thanks." I slid my hand into Link's and smiled at him.

"You did great, Zelda. These people couldn't have survived without you." He smiled back and kissed me again. I sighed in delight, then turned to the door.

"If you could come with me, please." I motioned to the doctor I'd pulled apart from the rest.

"Yes, your Majesty." He bowed.

I turned to Tetra.

"Tet, it's your turn to play now. Lead the medics to your area of the field, make sure they're okay, then come back here. Come back soon." I smiled.

"I will. Thanks." She nodded and ran off towards the infirmary.

"Come on." With that, Link and I ran towards our quarters, followed by the doctor.

---

We soon made it to the double doors that lead inside our house inside the castle. First, we crossed my antechambers, then Link's and my bedroom, then the kids' room, then the hallway, then the kitchen, and after a while of navigating through our huge house, we arrived at the guest bedroom. Just as I expected, Sheik was sitting on the bed with Oni in his lap, caressing his older brother's hair gently with a sad smile, as if remembering lost memories.

"Sheik..." I gently called from the doorsill. His head immediately shot up and he smiled.

"Hey Zelda..." his tone proved he'd been crying, proved further by his bloodshot eyes.

"Doctor, we have a particular case here." I led the doctor in. "You see, this young man was injured in battle. Gunshot in his stomach's left side. But he meant a lot to all of us, so my companion, Tetra, decided to at least remove the bullet and bandage him up. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time and necessary equipment to do a proper anesthetised operation, so we did what we could as a makeshift operation. In the end, she was successful in taking the bullet out and stopping the blood flow, but I just want you to make sure we did this right, and there's nothing wrong like, you know, infections or misplaced organs." I chuckled.

"I'll do what I can, but I'm pretty sure this young man will not live if the operation was done in a non-sanitary place, with non-sanitary tools, and by a person who is not a credited surgeon, but since I see this man is breathing, I will check." He advanced to Sheik's side and got on the bed. "Where is the wound?" he inquired.

Sheik moved from on top of Oni to his right side and pushed away his cape. He then pointed to the mass of bloodied bandages on his stomach.

"I see." The doctor put his glasses on and pulled some plastic gloves out of his pocket.

Quickly putting them on, he started peeling off the bandages. I got him the nearest garbage can and once he took out all the bandages, he put them in the can. He then started analyzing the wound.

We all held our breaths, wondering if Tetra had succeeded.

After a moment, of inspecting and touching the wound, the doctor got up and threw his gloves away before taking his glasses off.

"Surprisingly, all I could see was a slight exterior infection appearing. This must be one of the most successful operations in all of history! This is mind-boggling! To think that an inexperienced girl would be able to perform a makeshift surgery of the highest class in a battlefield, without any sterilized equipment! This is magic!" he exclaimed.

We all chuckled at that. Technically, there WAS magic involved, but we wouldn't tell that easily.

"Thank you very much, doctor. We really appreciate it. Can you tell how much time it'll be until he wakes up?" I inquired.

"Just by looking at his pale face, I can tell he has lost enormous amounts of blood. But he seems to be regenerating himself pretty quickly. If we put him on a blood support machine, he should be up in a week." He estimated.

"_Four days, then."_ I chuckled internally.

"_Maybe even three..."_ Sheik replied in my mind.

"And if we don't?" I inquired.

"About two weeks." He nodded.

"_A week..."_

"_Six days?"_

"_Stop it, Sheik, we gotta give him maximum recovery time."_

"_Fine, a week."_

"Alright, we'll go with the blood support machine." I decided.

"Great. I'll head down to the infirmary to prepare what we need. We'll need some donors, though. Does anyone know his type of blood?" the doctor asked.

"He's an O." Sheik immediately replied. "Like me, you can take my blood as much as you'd like." He quickly blurted out.

"He does look a lot like you... Are you related, by any chance?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, he's my older brother." Sheik quickly replied.

"Ah, wonderful. Then follow me to the infirmary, and we'll take a shot from you and hook him on the machine." The doctor smiled.

"Thank you so much, Doctor..."

"Call me Doctor Ryuken." The doctor smiled.

"Thank you very much, Doctor Ryuken." I bowed.

"Oh no, your Majesty, I should be the one thanking you for saving us!" he chuckled, bowing as well.

"Alright, let's go." Sheik quickly got up, pulling Oni out of bed.

"Here, let me help." Link headed over and put his arm around Oni's slumped shoulders. Sheik took his other shoulder, and even if the Sheikah wasn't walking, it was easier to carry him towards the infirmary like that.

---

At the infirmary, we put him down in a bed and laid him comfortably under the sheets. Doctor Ryuken went away for a second, then came back with the equipment he needed to extract some blood from Sheik.

"Roll up your sleeve." He asked, sterilizing his tools.

Sheik rolled up the white sleeve of his uniform and quickly held his arm out.

"It'll just hurt a second, then you'll be alright." He then noted, lowering his needle on Sheik's arm.

"Do what you need to do to help my brother." He muttered, sitting down on the bed.

"Alright then." The doctor then proceeded to his stuff while I turned away. Too much blood for one week. A bit more, and I'd puke.

A couple of moments later, I heard the doctor pull away. I judged it safe enough to look and turned around, looking as Sheik swayed a bit.

"Here, eat this." Ryuken pulled out a doughnut from a box he'd brought with him.

"No thank you." Sheik blinked slowly, lifting his hand in a stopping motion. "I think I'll pass out now..."

And he fell back, lying either unconscious or asleep over his older brother's legs.

"Oh my, that has never happened before..." the doctor panicked.

"Oh, he'll be alright, he was exhausted to start with, so it's just normal he'd faint." I assured him.

"Well, if he was tired, we shouldn't have gone through with the blood donation..." he sighed.

"It's alright. Now I think he'd appreciate it if you hooked his brother up." Link chuckled sheepishly.

"Of course. I'll get to it right away. You may go, you know. I'll take care of them for the night." The doctor assured.

"Thank you, Doctor Ryuken..." I yawned and stretched.

"Yeah, thanks. Let's go Zel. Good night." Link wished and grabbed my shoulders, leading me out of the infirmary and into our room, where we'd surely get a good night of sleep, one that we didn't have for seemingly ages.

Everything was finally back to normal.

Most of it anyway.

_***********_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears._

_When you screamed I'd fight away all of your fears._

_And I held your hand through all of these years._

_But you still have, _

_All of me..._

_~Girls' Theme (My Immortal- Evanescence)_

_**---------**_

**Author's Notes:**

**Ryuken = epic-est win in all fanfiction names. Cept Elyria. A name in one of my older fanfics I haven't put in here. Ryuken and Elyria are my names by the way. Steal and die =3**

**Very probably the last theme in this story. I wanted to give the bad guys a theme, but they don't deserve one. Plus, I don't gots no more songs in mind for now =P And... this song is probably the most famous Evanescence song ever (maybe rivaled by Bring Me To Life...) And it's very shweet =) Yes, shweet isn't a typo, it's actually supposed to be written shweet xDDD Variant of "sweet" =3**

**Bloody and gory! Yum! xDDD Can't say I didn't warn you =3 TETRA IS A MIRACLE SENT BY NAYRU! xDDD Honestly, even I, the author, don't understand how she can stand the sight of so much blood O_o I could (maybe...), but it'd scar me for life.**

**Poor Oni and Sheik. More details on their childhood seperation story next chapter =D FYI, you can find pictures of Oni on my deviantart. He's the OC I'm using for my 100 themes challenge =3**

**By the way, if you guys are wondering how Sheik and Oni came to get seperated for so long, this is the chapter to submit your hypothesises on. Their seperation has something to do with: **

**-the low number of Sheikahs in Hyrule.**

**-Sheik's previous cold attitude.**

**-Sheik acting like it's been a decade they haven't seen each other.**

**What's your guess? ;)**

**Next chapter posting date: *****some day*, August 17, 2009**

**I kindly ask for you to drop a review. Reviews are what prove that someone is reading this, and tell me that someone's waiting for an update, and mostly, they encourage me to write faster and better, and also get posts in earlier =3 Isn't that what you want? Then please review, even if it's just one sentence! ^^**


	13. Both flashbacks and realities are bloody

**Author's Notes:**

**Wow, first semi-serious title in the story except for 'Goodbyes and Resolutions'... And 'Prologue' xD**

***runs around, screaming in a high voice* AAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!! I HAVEN'T WRITTEN CHAPTER 13 YET!!!!!! I'M NEVER EVER GONNA MAKE IT!!!! STUPID ADDICTING VIDEO GAME MAKING PROGRAM!!!!!!! DIIIIIE!!!!!!!! DX**

**Seriously, I haven't written chapter 13 yet O_o**

**Oh well, rantrantrant, I'll shut up and let you read =) No theme this time X( Even though Hush Hush, from Pussycat Dolls, is a pretty good song =) Oh Nayru, I feel ashamed to say that DX**

**WOO! The story behind Sheik's and Oni's seperation! You guys remember the FFFFF.....FFFFF section dividers from JLR? ^^ They mean a flashback is going on =) Flashbacks are always in 3rd person =) ENJOY! ^^**

****************

A week passed. During that time, Link and I got to spend a lot of time together, closing the rift that had been opened between us during the half-year he was gone. Castle Town was slowly rebuilding itself, with the help from Holodrum. I talked to Midna on the phone and couldn't thank her enough for coming to my rescue. She said it was no problem, and she'd do it every day if it was to help a sibling.

Link also took the chance to talk to the kids on the phone. By then, Ruto had returned from her honeymoon and couldn't have been more delighted to find out Link was okay. Malon, Ralph, Kafei and Anju were also thrilled to hear he was okay. The kids were the most ecstatic ones. Especially Roxas, after he witnessed his father getting almost killed, so he was screaming and crying in the phone. Link promised them they'd come home soon. Aryll was also crying in the phone and constantly blowing her nose. Kairi was still babbling nonsense, but even she sounded happy to hear her father's voice again.

Naminé was very happy to hear Tetra's voice, but also wanted to hear Sheik's. Unfortunately for her, Sheik wasn't available at the moment.

He was the only one who hadn't recovered yet. Day and night, he stood by Oni's bedside and didn't speak to anyone who came in. He slept there, and I'm pretty sure he transported to the kitchen and quickly grabbed something before returning to the infirmary when he was hungry. We were all very worried about him.

That was, until Tetra decided to talk to him. One afternoon, we decided to go to the infirmary altogether to try and find out what was ailing Sheik.

As we entered Oni's hospital room, we saw Sheik in his usual position: head lying between his arms that were folded on Oni's bed while he sat on a chair.

"Sheik..." Tetra gently called. He didn't turn. "Sheik, can I talk to you for a second?" she got near him.

No response.

"Sheik, please, this is important..." she put a hand on his shoulder.

His shattered voice finally replied.

"The doctor said four days..." he sniffled.

"It'll be alright Sheik. I'm sure he's just recovering his Sheikah magic. You know how Sheikahs need to rest a long while if they completely deplete their magic." Link tried to comfort him.

"Still... It's been eight days..." he croaked out.

"He did just escape death and got away with it with only an infection. You gotta give him some time." I added on.

"He just..." he sighed out sadly. "Means a lot to me..."

"Hey, you promised you'd tell us your story after you got some rest. Now's a good time to do it." Tetra prompted him.

Sheik stood silent for a moment, pondering. He then lifted his head and turned around to us.

"Fine. But listen well." He took a deep breath and shook his head a little before starting. "Have you ever wondered why there is a very small quantity of Sheikahs left in Hyrule?" he asked.

"I heard there was a Sheikah genocide..." Link answered, unsure.

"Yes, there was a Sheikah genocide. Thousands, even MILLIONS of Sheikahs died in it. Our assailants were just as powerful as us: our long-time rivals, the Hanyos. The Hanyos are a race of half-demons. They take the shape of a human being, but can fight ferociously and cast devastating magic. Both the Hanyos and the Sheikahs were always against each other. That was until a Hanyo princess and a Sheikah clan leader got married together. Peace reigned for a while until one night, the Hanyo princess was murdered. It was later found out that she'd been murdered by a Hanyo under orders, but at the time, it was believed that it was a Sheikah."

"That's horrible..." I gasped.

"Yes... And that's how the genocide started. By a scheme put on by a Hanyo General. One night, Hanyos flooded our Sheikah village and slaughtered everyone, no exception. Sheikahs started to flee, but soon, the Hanyos circled the area where the Sheikahs lived and intercepted the ones who were trying to flee by shadow magic. Everyone who was caught was immediately killed. Mothers saw children die. Children saw their parents die. Orphaned Sheikah kids were taken to the Hanyo to grow up as slaves to the half-demons. It was horrible..." Sheik remembered with a sad frown.

"That's really monstrous and horrible, but... What's this gotta do with your story?" Tetra asked.

Sheik gave out a half-hearted smirk and sighed out, closing his eyes.

"I lived through the genocide."

**FFFFF.....FFFFF**

The little blond boy didn't register everything that was happening. Everything around him was crumbling. The walls, the roof, the furniture. The fire slowly spread, getting dangerously close to the young ten year old, who whimpered and covered his head with his arms.

"Big brother, help me!" he screamed out, crying.

"I'm here, Sheik, don't worry!" a distant voice suddenly replied.

"Please, hurry!" the boy screamed.

"I'm coming!" a person suddenly burst through the flaming door and ran for Sheik. He stopped crying and got up shakily.

"Big brother!" he screamed.

"I'm here, Sheik! Hold on! We're gonna jump through!" the fourteen year old teenager warned.

"Kay!" Sheik screamed.

"Hold on!" with that, the blond teenager jumped for his brother, and crashed through the crumbling wooden wall, falling outside the burning house. The older blond safely grabbed the younger one and somersaulted, safely landing on his feet.

"Oni, I was so scared..." Sheik sniffled, clutching onto his big brother's Sheikah uniform.

"Shh... It's alright now... I'm here... Nothing will hurt you ever again." Oni rubbed his little brother's back in soothing motions.

"How sweet." A sarcastic voice suddenly chuckled form atop them.

The blond teenager lifted his head to see a Hanyo pointing a knife down at them.

"Now get ready to die!" with that, he lunged.

"Sheik! Duck!" Oni pushed his little brother on the ground, screaming as the knife cut through his arm.

"I'll get you somewhere safe, big brother!" Sheik panicked, casting a shadow spell. The two siblings disintegrated into shadows and travelled off.

They didn't go long before the spell was forcefully broken and Sheik fell out with a cry of pain.

"Think you can escape, eh?" another Hanyo grinned sadistically, throwing a spear of purple magic at them. Oni grabbed Sheik and twisted him around, getting hit in the process. The magic spread through his veins, freezing him in place.

"We have to go, big brother!" Sheik screamed, panicked, trying to pull him up. At the cost of an immense effort, Oni reached for a dagger on his belt and expertly flicked it at the Hanyo, hitting him straight in the heart. As the Hanyo fell, so did Oni. "Hold on, please!" Sheik pleaded, shaking him while tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Look Sheik... I'm too tired to go on... I'll stay behind and fight to show these Hanyo bastards that we Sheikahs won't fall easily, but I want you to escape to Hyrule Castle Town. You'll be safe there." He pushed himself up with a dry cough.

"I won't leave you behind!" the Sheikah kid cried out.

"You'll have to." Oni took his hand and looked down at him. "For now, let's get somewhere safe." He smiled despite the situation.

"Right." Sheik nodded and as if cued, the two brothers ran off.

It wasn't long, though, before they were spotted by a group of Hanyos. The half-demons quickly jumped through the air and intercepted them in mid-run, making them slide to a stop and duck to avoid a swing of a sword.

"Wow, I must say I'm impressed. You two must be the only two surviving Sheikahs in this village by now." The leaders grinned sadistically.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Oni yelled at them, enraged.

"Watch your mouth, Sheikah scum. You do look pretty strong too, and pretty young. The Hanyo race could use Sheikahs like you as their slaves. Here's a deal. Since we both know you'll die soon, I challenge you to a duel. I win, you die. You win, you get to live on as our slave. Deal?" the leader held his hand out.

"He'd never make a deal with you! My big brother is strong enough to take you all out without even trying!" Sheik screamed at them.

"Cheeky little kid. I'll have fun with you when I'm done with your dear brother." The leader snapped his fingers, and two Hanyos jumped over the Sheikahs and grabbed Sheik from behind.

"ONI!" the little kid screamed, terrified.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" the latter yelled out warningly, drawing out a few daggers and flicking them at the Hanyos with deadly precision. Only problem was, they erected a shield just in time to save their lives. The daggers fell on the floor harmlessly.

"So... Deal?" the leader asked again.

"I'll make YOU a deal. I lose, I'm all yours. I win, you keep me, but he gets to be free." He pointed at his little brother.

"Aw, how sweet. Big brother wants to be a martyr for his little brother and save his life. Too bad we'll hunt down every Sheikah here and kill them all." The leader rolled his eyes. "Fine, you're on. Commence the duel."

And he lunged without warning, palms flaring up with magic.

Oni countered with spears of Shadow Magic that he hurled at the Hanyo. The Hanyo dodged and punched Oni with a fistful of magic. The Sheikah staggered back and disappeared into the shadows to avoid another attack. Springing up behind the Hanyo, he high kicked him in the back, then pulled out a dagger, tearing it across the Hanyo's back. The half-demon screamed, but twisted around, punching the Sheikah back.

"Wow, wish I could have more fun with you, but it's time to end it." He snapped his fingers again, and all the other Hanyos except the ones holding Sheik jumped into the fray, attacking Oni.

The latter gasped and barely had time to put up a shield before numerous weapons clanged against it.

"YOU BASTARD! CHEATER!" the teenager yelled at the man, who was smirking at him.

"Never said I'd play fair. Plus, who'd want to spar with trash like you?" he chuckled sadistically.

"Shut UP!" Oni suddenly broke the shield, blowing all the Hanyos off and raised a dagger, jumping and plunging down at the leader. He didn't move, merely smirk. "DIE, HANYO BASTARD!" he screamed, ready to pierce him through.

Just then, a searing pain ripped through his midsection and he froze. His eyes glazed over and his hand dropped the knife, slowly holding out to his stomach. A bloody knife carried by a long-nailed hand protruded from his stomach.

He coughed up blood and finally screamed in pain when the knife was ripped out of him. He slowly stumbled and fell to the ground, doubled over. His Sheikah magic slowly closed his wound, but by the time he had done so, he'd already lost too much blood to continue fighting. The Hanyo leader put his booted foot on his back and roughly pushed him on the ground.

"I win." He stated.

"Cheater..." Oni breathed.

"Respect your new master, slave." The Hanyo grinned.

"I will never serve the likes of you..." he replied arrogantly.

"I did win our engagement. You lose, you're all mine. It would be a waste to kill such a pretty face, so why not keep you?" he leaned down and pulled him onto his knees by his hair as Hanyos swarmed over him, tying his ankles and wrists before completely tying his hands to his body.

"Kill me." He spat.

"No, you could prove to help in a lot of things. Those Sheikah kids we took as our slaves are going to be useless in major tasks. You'll be perfect for the job. And I'll get a raise for bringing you alive." He grabbed the older Sheikah's cheeks and turned his face around to inspect him.

"Don't touch me." Oni coldly broke away, glaring daggers at the half-demon.

"Just you wait, in a few hours, I'll be the one giving orders." He then turned to the Hanyo behind him and nodded. "Release the kid."

Sheik was finally released and he quickly ran to Oni's side. Kneeling there, he circled his brother in a tight hug.

"Don't worry, I'll save you, Oni!" he cried out.

"It's too late, Sheik..." Oni grunted in pain.

"IT'S NOT TOO LATE! IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!" the little Sheikah screamed, digging his tear stained face in his brother's blood-stained clothes.

"Look Sheik, I want you to run. Don't stay here, just run." Oni whispered.

"But why should he run when he could have the privilege of watching you as you are given a slave's welcoming gift?" the leader smirked again as a Hanyo grabbed Sheik by the shoulders and pulled him away.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" the ten year old started kicking and screaming until the Hanyo hit him behind the head with a paralysis spell. The boy grunted in pain, but couldn't move or protest as a whip was brought to the Hanyo leader.

"Now watch. And remember every detail. I'm not going to kill you, oh no, that would be too cruel. I'm going to let you go. Feel lucky, as you are probably the only Sheikah survivor. And listen well. I want you to go tell EVERYONE about this. Tell everyone about the blood bath, the massacre, seeing your friends and family being murdered under your eyes. And then, I want you to think 'why am I the only one who got out alive? Couldn't I have saved them? It's all my fault.' And have nightmares at night about it, alright?" the Hanyo grinned sadistically.

"Don't listen to him, Sheik!" Oni screamed out. "He's trying to mess with your mind! It's NOT your fault! It never was and it never will be!" he didn't have time to continue because a lashing sound cut through the air, following by the sound of leather meeting flesh.

He screamed.

"ONI!" Sheik screamed louder, tears running down his eyes. With every scream, with every lashing sound, with every droplet of blood that the blond kid saw, his hatred for the Hanyo grew stronger, as his love for his brother grew stronger. Tears streamed endlessly down his eyes as he watched his brother's blood splash on the ground, creating pools.

By the end, the leather was completely covered in blood, even dripping with it. Sheik's terrified gaze travelled over the bloody mess that used to be his brother. Now head hanging and facing the ground, he was only supported by the Hanyo who was holding him by his binds.

"Let him go." The leader ordered.

As soon as the hands were lifted off of him, Sheik ran for his brother and hugged him gently, as not to hurt him anymore, getting some of his blood smeared across his own Sheikah uniform.

"ONI! ONI SAY SOMETHING! SAY SOMETHING ONIISAN!" the little boy screamed.

"He can't. Poor thing. He's hurting too much to talk. If only you could have saved him. I can hear what he's thinking. 'Why is he just standing there and watching me get whipped to death? Why won't he help me? Doesn't he care?' that's what he's thinking."

"I CARE FOR HIM! I LOVE HIM LIKE I'VE NEVER LOVED BEFORE! HE'S MY LIFE, HE'S WHAT I'D GIVE MY OWN FOR!" the little boy screamed, crying harder.

"Oh well. It's too late now." A Hanyo got close and forced the kid to touch his brother's bloody back, making the latter shudder in pain. He then raised his hands at eye level for the Sheikah boy to see the dripping red off his hands. "Now his blood is on your hands. Never forget that." With that, he let go as the kid froze in place, watching the blood drip off his fingers. A moment later, someone gripped his shoulders and pushed him back as the leader grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled Oni's head up. "Watch his pained expression. It's all because of you." He shook his head a little, making him whimper in pain again.

"Oni... Farore, this is all my fault..." Sheik shakily drew in a breath, even smelling the metallic scent of blood in the air.

"Sheik..." the older Sheikah moaned. "It's... never... your fault... Never... believe what... they say... I... love you..." he whispered before a knife was slammed into his stomach from the back, coming out from the front.

Too tired to even scream, Oni threw his head back, then dropped down. The Hanyo let go of him, letting him splash in a pool of his own blood.

"ONI!" Sheik screamed harder, struggling.

"Too late now. Go tell the world you murdered your brother. Go on." Two Hanyos grabbed him and led him away as the young Sheikah boy looked one last time at his brother's half-corpse before he was taken away from him forever.

**FFFFF.....FFFFF**

"And..." Sheik sniffed away some tears. "That's the last time I saw him until 13 years later, now." He muffled a sob, looking down at the ground. "I thought he died. At the time, those wounds seemed too deep to be remedied, and every day, I lived with the conviction that he was gone. I loved him so much, it's impossible to compare my love for him to anything else. It's not a relationship type of love, but sibling-love, something that even death cannot break." He sighed out sadly.

We all stood silent for a moment, processing the horrible events he'd experienced when he was just a kid.

Slowly, Tetra circled him with her arms and hugged him tightly. I followed, soon joined by Link as we all hugged him to steal his pain.

"And... it just seemed so unreal when Zelda called for Oni in the dungeons, seemingly ages ago. At first, I thought it was a mercenary's cover up name, but then... he showed me his face... And I broke down. My world shattered and rebuilt with the idea that my beloved brother was still alive." He sighed out. "Now you understand why he means so much to me... I lost him once, and it would kill me if I lost him again." He looked towards his brother, who was now hooked up on a respirator to help him breathe.

"I'm so sorry you had to experience that..." I whispered sympathetically.

"I was hiding in Castle Town when the Hanyos attacked... I received news that the Sheikahs were being slaughtered and I took a brief break from castle work to hide, but when the surviving Sheikah emissaries returned and told me the slaughter was over, I started working again. I was young at that time and completely forgot about it." Link seemed to think.

"I came to Castle Town and collapsed in front of the castle the next day." Sheik continued.

"And... shortly after I was ordered back to work, we received a wounded kid at the castle..." Link looked up and gasped. "That was you!?" he blinked in surprise.

"Yes." He nodded neutrally.

"I remember now... I was left to take care of you... You woke up three days later and refused to talk to anyone, sleep, drink or eat. By then, the King and Queen got informed you were a Sheikah and decided to keep you as a noble in the castle. After a while, you left, and I didn't talk to you again until Zelda became the new Queen." Link reminisced.

"Right. I was still depressed over Oni's 'death' and I never got over it until I got some friends, when Zelda came." He sighed out.

"You shouldn't have worried over me so much."

All four of us suddenly whipped around and looked at who had talked. Sheik was the first to reply with a sob.

"I was so scared..."

"I'm sorry I abandoned you..." Oni grunted as he pushed himself in a sitting position.

"I felt so lost without you at first..." Sheik slowly got up and got on the bed.

"I'm sorry I caused you so much grief..." Oni looked down shamefully.

"I never got over you... And that's why I acted cold around people..." Sheik let a few tears roll down his cheeks as he crawled over to his brother who took off the respirator and smiled.

"Forgive me?" he asked, opening his arms.

Sheik's watery eyes darted over his brother's form and he suddenly jumped into his open arms, hugging him tightly.

"DEAR GODS I AM SO SORRY!" he screamed.

"For what?" Oni asked, rubbing his back in soothing motions.

"I WISH I COULD HAVE HELPED! I PASSED EVERY NIGHT FILLED WITH NIGHTMARES AND REGRETS!" he sobbed out, clutching his brother tighter.

"I'm sorry I left you behind... If I knew, I wouldn't have given in... I was young and foolish, and I thought giving my life for the one I loved was something good..." he sighed, looking away.

"I thought you were dead..." Sheik hiccupped and wiped his tears on his shirt.

"I thought I'd never make it alive either." Oni smiled sadly.

"Where were you all this time...?" he whispered softly.

"I worked for the Hanyo king and queen for eleven years. I escaped on my twelfth year. And I wandered around, trying to recover and get back on track before I headed to Termina. There, I met a young woman who needed a mercenary's help to deliver something to the Queen of Hyrule. I saw my chance to meet you again and took up the offer." He explained.

"Twelve years under those monsters' orders... It must have been horrible..." Sheik sniffled, looking up at his older brother's scarred eyes, eyes that had seen and lived through many atrocities.

"It was bearable because I knew you were safe." Oni replied with a sad smile.

"Dear Gods." Sheik sank back into his brother's arms. "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" he screamed out, crying the contents of his heart out as we stood back and watched the touching reunion of two long lost brothers who were finally brought back together after thirteen tortured years of pain and anguish.

---

A while later, Sheik fell asleep in his brother's arms. Leaving them both to their intimacy, we all exited the infirmary room and headed for our own room.

On the way there, though, Link brought up a subject I'd rather have left behind for now.

"You know that we'll have to go push back the Labyrennians completely so that they won't recover their forces and attack again, right?" he asked.

"I was dreading that sentence..." I sighed.

"Come on, I'm sure it won't be bad." Tetra put a hand on my shoulder as we walked.

"Yeah. It'll simply require Sheik and me, and we'll sneak into Onox's and Veran's army camp. From there, we'll assassinate them, and set fire to the camp before making our escape. No fights this time, I promise." Link assured with a chuckle.

"I hope so. I've seen enough wounds for one lifetime." I groaned, rubbing my forehead.

"You should be the one talking, I was treating those wounds." Tetra stuck her tongue out at me playfully.

"Ah, well, we've all gotten our share of atrocities..." Link slid in between us and grabbed both of our hands. "But we survived, isn't that important?" he smiled sweetly.

"Agreed." Tetra and I answered at the same time, starting a contagious laughter that swept over us, and even some of the castle staff we crossed as we headed up to our quarters.

---

A couple of days passed. Sheik needed about a day to recover from his shock and spent his time with Oni in the infirmary wing. As for us, we had a lot to do to get back in line. Link and I kept running around the entire castle, whether to arrange meetings, events or anything else. The once-usual maids swarmed over us again, especially Link. Ever since he disappeared, about seven months ago, everyone had been very worried.

And the worry got bigger when the doctors sent to check him up discovered the hundreds of scars on his body. I only had a couple left on my right side and some bruises here and there, but Link's back and torso were literally decorated with healed whip marks, burns, cuts, bruises, and a lot more scars. With that, the doctors ordered us a lot of rest. So we were stuck all day long in bed, with our ministers tending to the rest. Once this entire thing was over, a burial was ordered for the deceased. Plus, I was sending repair crews to Castle Town immediately, so the entire palace was very busy. Midna helped a lot as well, sending her soldiers where needed and all.

Now, we were once again swarmed with the palace life. Maids, servants, ministers, attendants... Phew, back to the exhausting routine.

Almost.

The Labyrennians had retreated to the Hylian-Labyrennian border and had camped out there. It was a clear terrain on every side, which made ambush hard. Plus, if we were to attack them again, they'd see us coming from afar and be ready to put up a fight. Plus, here, it wasn't a fight that was needed, but more of an assassin who would take out the head, having the rest follow.

"I volunteer immediately." Sheik cut through my thoughts as he raised his arm with a smug grin.

"You don't need to, you're coming anyway." Link cut in with a laugh.

"What about me?" Oni piped up shyly. Ever since he'd recovered completely, he'd been awfully shy, as if embarrassed about his flashback and past life.

"You're staying here." I immediately decided.

"Why?" he quietly sulked.

"Because. We need as less people as we can, and plus, we might need you to help them get back. Their Sheikah powers aren't as wide as yours, and I'm afraid they might run out of energy before they make it back here." Tetra sighed out.

"Yes, your Majesty..." the shadow assassin sighed sadly.

"You sound like Link." I noted.

"What?" my husband turned around, blinking at me. "I don't sound like that." He raised a brow.

"Let me finish. You sound like Link did five years ago." I laughed.

"I did NOT sound like that." He blushed and turned around, embarrassed.

"Yes you did. Remember Link... 'I'm sorry, your Majesty...' 'I'm not worth it, your Majesty...' 'Your Majesty!'" I laughed, jumping behind him.

"I did NOT sound like that..." he repeated, accelerating his pace.

"Yes you did." Sheik backed me up.

"Yes you did!" Tetra laughed.

"Did not..."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"No..."

"Yes."

"Okay, break it up, you guys."

---

Night.

"Ready?" Link asked as he strapped a gun to his thigh and circled some gun belts around his waist.

"Just in a bit." Sheik replied, tying his shoelaces and making sure his black shirt was sticking to his body right.

"Kay, we ready to go?" he asked after a moment, standing up.

"Yep." Sheik nodded and smiled as he finished strapping his gun belts on his waist.

"Please be careful... No overdoing anything... Just sneak in, do what you need to do, and come back safely." I reached up to Link and kissed him gently.

"I promise." He smiled.

"Thanks." I snuggled comfortably against him for a while, then let go so he could advanced for the window they would jump out of.

"Ready?" he asked to his sidekick.

"Ready to go." Sheik nodded.

"Then let's go." The two got up on the balcony railing and jumped off.

"BE SAFE!" I screamed behind them as they quickly disappeared into the shadows and started travelling towards the Labyrennian-Hylian border.

**XXXXX.....XXXXX**

There was not much to say about the travel. It was long, boring, and exhausting. We travelled in the shadows for about two hours before we made it to our destination: the Labyrennian army's encampment.

There, we got out from the shadow of a tree and hid behind it, watching the nearest guards with interest.

"They don't seem like they're very organized..." Sheik noted.

"Yeah... I'd say they're not a lot of people here either." I added.

"Most of their forces must have perished during the battles." He nodded.

"Yeah. This'll make our job easier." I pulled out two bottles of green potion and handed one to him. "Drink up, we might need out magic." I smiled.

"Thanks."

After gulping down our potions, we threw them on the ground and disappeared into the shadows, synchronized.

And we started navigating the Labyrennian camp from the shadows. Sometimes, we reappeared behind a tent or something to check where we were, but kept poking around until we found a tent that was bigger and richer than the rest. Two Labyrennians were standing guard in front of it.

"There." I whispered, prompting Sheik to reappear behind a nearby tree like me.

"We'll have to kill them. We won't be able to pull it off if we don't." he noted.

"Kay. Let's pull it off quickly and silently." I drew two daggers and aimed at one of the guards, imitating Sheik. As if cued, we both flicked the daggers at the Labyrennians, catching them in the heart and neck.

No sounds except gasping and gurgling were heard, followed by a small thump as the guards fell. We checked on every side for incoming guards, then sneaked out and headed for the tent.

In front of the tent, we checked one more time before I slowly opened the tent flap, letting Sheik get inside before following and closing the flap behind me.

"Alright." I whispered, looking at the other side. Onox and Veran were lying on the same inflatable mattress, asleep.

"This makes our job easier." Sheik nodded.

"Yep. Let's go and get this over with now." I quickly slid into the shadows of a table and travelled to the shadow of their mattress. Sheik followed me, and when we were both out, we nodded as we moved to the sides: I took Onox, he took Veran.

"One... two..." we both drew daggers and suddenly stuck them into out enemy's shoulders, using our other hands to muffle their immediate cries of pain.

We then left the dagger in them, and drew another one, putting it against their necks, all in a synchronized move.

Once we made sure they wouldn't scream, we slowly removed our hands and glared down at them.

"You..." Onox panted.

"Yes, me." I smirked.

"Coward..." he spat.

"Coming from the person who threw gas bombs on our encampment and captured us when we fell down unconscious and half-choked to death." I answered.

"Fool." He growled.

"The only fool in this entire thing, Onox, is you." I scoffed.

"What do you want?" he asked, watching me closely.

"What a childish question." I rolled my eyes, then looked down at him seriously. "I want your life." I whispered viciously.

"Then do it. Kill me." Onox spat again.

"Oh no, are you kidding me? Not THAT easily, I won't. I'll let you suffer, just like you let my family and friends suffer." I narrowed my eyes at him, then turned to Sheik, nodding. "Look there." I called.

Onox slowly turned his head to look at Veran, who was trembling under Sheik's knife.

"Onox..." she whispered, scared.

"Your deal is with me, not her." Onox growled.

"Your deal is her deal as well. She played a part in trying to assassinate my daughter. She'll pay, just as you will." I gritted my teeth and nodded at Sheik. "Do it."

He nodded again and looked down, pulling the knife in her shoulder, struggling with her shoulder bone a bit before cutting through with a disgusting rip. He then ripped out his knife over Veran's screams of agony and slammed it down into her heart.

"O... Nox..." she whispered, eyes glazed over, before she drew her last breath and she fell down, limp.

"VERAN! VERAN!" Onox cried out, tears starting to mass in the corner of his brown eyes.

"Don't worry, you'll join her soon." I muttered.

"You killed my beloved..." he whispered out, his tyrannical attitude melting into a sorrowful one.

"Now you know how scared Tetra and Zelda were when you tried to take us away from them forever." Sheik growled out, angry.

"Kill me." Onox ordered coldly.

"Not that easily." I grunted as I pushed him over, rolling him into Veran's blood that had leaked onto the mattress. The tyrant shuddered, but kept silent. "This is for what you did to my country." I inserted another knife in his other shoulder. The giant bit his lip so he wouldn't scream again. "This is for what you did to Sheik and I." I grunted as I slashed a Triforce on his back, not only making him shudder in pain, but marking him with the symbol of the Hylians forever. "And this is for what you did to my family." I put up a knife over his heart. "May you burn in Din's Sacred Flames." I growled before slamming the knife down.

The knife cracked through his ribcage and pierced through his heart, coming back out the other way, staining the mattress with more blood. I stood there, hands on the bloody dagger that had taken my greatest enemy's life, shuddering and breathing heavily.

Only when Sheik whistled, I let go of the knife and turned to him. He was peeking out the tent flap.

"We'd better go. Reinforcements are coming and we don't have weapons." He told me.

"Alright. Let's go." I looked one last time at the person who had taken so much away from me, then spat on his corpse before disappearing in the shadows, followed by Sheik.

---

We reappeared outside the camp's borders. There, we lined up next to each other and raised our hands towards the camp, from which I could hear the alarm sounding off. They'd probably found their leaders' corpses by now and had sounded the alarm.

"Game over, Onox." I whispered, closing my eyes, imitating Sheik. We then started chanting in Ancient Hylian a spell we found in a book at the castle's library.

I wasn't kidding when I said Onox would burn in Din's Sacred Flames.

"DIN'S FIRE!" we both screamed out at the same time, sending waves of fiery magic sailing out of our palms, heading for the nearest tent. That tent easily caught on fire, then the next, and the next, and over and over again. By the end of a couple of minutes, the entire remnants of the Labyrennian forces were getting burned down by the magical flames. We simply watched as the fire danced over the corpses of Labyrennians.

I could only think of one thing, though.

"It's finally over."

**********

**Author's Notes**

**Hanyos are from Inuyasha. Thought of Naraku, and NOT Inuyasha, when I wrote this =)**

**Maybe that was a tiny bit fast O_o**

**HAHA! The closest guess to why Sheik and Oni were seperated was actually ScarredWords, who didn't actually get it right completely, but got closer than anyone else =)**

**Yey, I had fun writing the flashback. Nayru, I am SUCH a sadist? xD Link and Zelda are probably complaining to their Goddesses as to why I get to write fanfics in their fandom =P**

**Weeeee.... I went shopping all day long with mah shopping-obsessed best friend, but bought nothing... And that explains why this update is a bit late xD**

**And... next update.... hummm.... I can't tell because I haven't written chapter 13 yet O-o DO NOT FEAR! Half the chapter is already wirtten, the next half is on an alarming writer's block phase... Don't worry, I'll get rid of the writer's block soon and type quickly =) No more game designing until I finish Rise!**

**Now. *grabs DS and starts playing Pokemon Diamond* Hey, does anyone have Diamond? I wanna know if I'm allowed to get your friend code =3 I'd rant all about Pokemon right now, and how I use my team, what place I've gotten to, and stuff, but apparently, it doesn't interest you. Let's just leave it to this: "It's been 30 hours I've been playing, and I've gotten tot he 6th gym, with 3 Pokemons ONLY."**

**Yey, Pokemanzz =D**

**In any case, next update will be on...**

**Next update: August 22, 2009**

**Let's hope I'll be done writing by then =/ WISH ME LUCK PLEASE!**

**AND PLEASE REVIEW! MAH SUPER AWESOME TEAM OF POKEMANZZ BEGS YOU TO LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	14. It's about time everything finished!

**Author's Notes:**

**Please... Let me sit on something that won't move... I went to the amusement park today and streaked ALL the roller coasters in the park back-to-back... Dear Farore, get me an Advil, NOW. I don't puke, I get major hangover-like headaches (not that I know how a hangover feels... seriously, I don't xD)**

**Okay then. Did I say August 22? I meant August 23 =3 Sorry xD It's just that I have a load of alibis. Let's just say yesterday, I was out the entire day and didn't have my file on my laptop. Plus, the chapter wasn't completely written yet. I concentrated a bit on my video game designing =P**

**Anyway, last chapter, people! =OOO This is the chapter I had major writer's block on. I'm sure you can find where I had the writer's block xD**

**Oh, and after all, I DID use the name Elyria in here, because it's such an awesome name, and I love it =3 And couldn't resist xD**

**_Enough. My ship sails in the morning._**

***************

Now that the Labyrennian threat was over, I decided to get out and walk a bit. Walk in the moonlight, maybe.

Pulling my nightgown up, I yawned and stretched before getting out of my empty bed and heading for my flip-flops. Quickly slipping my feet in them, I noiselessly opened my door and slid out.

I decided to leave the gardens alone for now and take a walk around town. Heading for the castle's main gates, I pushed the double doors open to exit to the outside castle steps. Breathing in a deep breath of fresh air, I slowly started walking down when I noticed a lump in front of the castle's steps. Rushing, while having a pretty good idea of what it was, I drew up my dress and ran down the steps, quickly kneeling next to the lump.

And I couldn't help but crack a smile when I dragged an unconscious Sheik off of an unconscious Link who was holding his stomach. I laughed, realizing they must have fallen on each other before losing consciousness. Grunting in effort, I finally dragged them off of each other and laid them on their backs. Quickly checking their breathing, I realized they had just fainted from exhaustion. Stretching my stiff muscles, I brought my fingers to my mouth and whistled.

I didn't have to wait an entire minute before Oni drew up from the shadows next to me.

"May I-"

"What is it, Zelda?" I cut in reproachfully.

"What is it, Zelda..." he muttered grumpily. Ever since Sheik had revealed his identity, he was getting easier to change.

"Help me carry them to the infirmary, please." I asked, motioning to Link and Sheik.

"Yes-"

"Okay, ZELDA." I corrected again.

"Yes Milady." He quickly smirked and bent down, grabbing Sheik's arm, as well as Link's. "Hold onto me, Zelda." He blurted out.

"Hah, I did it!" I grinned as he blushed.

"Just hold on." He muttered, red from head to toes.

"Can do." I giggled and held onto his shoulders. A second later, we blasted off towards the infirmary.

---

Once there, Oni laid Sheik and Link down on separate beds and stepped back to look at his little brother.

"What happened?" he inquired neutrally.

"They sneaked in to take out Veran and Onox, then came back here using magic. They must have exhausted themselves. Again." I chuckled sarcastically.

"Ah. I see." He simply replied.

"Come on." I gently took his hand in mine and turned towards the door. "You're sleeping over tonight." I giggled, dragging him towards my quarters.

---

At this hour, everyone was asleep, and the dark hallways were silent. Perfect for a private conversation.

"Hey Oni." I called.

"Yes, Your-"

"Zelda."

"Yes, Your Zelda?" he smirked.

"Can I ask a question?" I inquired.

"Go ahead..." he replied in a hushed voice, tensing.

"What's it like, being deprived of your freedom for twelve years?" I asked innocently.

He stiffened even more and stood silent, his pace getting heavier. I followed him silently, waiting for a reply.

"You really want to know?" he asked back in a sad voice just above a whisper.

"Yes please." I confidently answered, wanting to know if there was anything I could do to make him happier. If I could give him anything he didn't have for those twelve years of misery.

"It's... indescribably... horrible." He simply answered.

"How?" I pushed further, not getting the answer to my question.

"It makes you go mad at one point. I'm ashamed to admit I've considered suicide more than once." He gritted his teeth and balled his fists, shaking slightly. I was behind him and couldn't see the expression on his downcast face.

"How come!?" I gasped, surprised that the strong shadow warrior I now knew had tried to take the easy way out of life. Even though, I imagine with that many things revolving around you, it would drive you to insanity at one point.

"Yes, you're right. More than once, I thought I'd never get out of there and chose to try to take the easiest way out." He answered in a hushed voice decorated with trembles.

"Then... how come you're still alive...?" I inquired softly.

"Sometimes, I'd get caught before I committed the act. But most of the time, I'd think of Sheik, and how much I wanted to see him again, so I put the knife down and walked away." He replied, clumsily muffling a sob at the end.

I bit my lip, not wanting to make him remember any further, but I wanted to know if I could help. So I just got to the point.

"Can I... Do something that will make up for everything you've been deprived of for the last twelve years?" I slowly asked.

He stood silent for a moment, then stopped walking. I stopped Tetra with the wave of my arm and stood behind him a bit to give him his space.

After a while, though, he lifted his head and shook it without even looking at me.

"I'm reunited with the only family I have left. What else could I ask for?" he rhetorically gave me the answer I was waiting for, then suddenly retreated into the shadows. My trained eyes followed him as he jumped from shadow to shadow and disappeared in the direction of the Royal Gardens.

"I guess that's true..." I sighed silently.

"I think everyone's tired now. Come on..." Tetra gently took my hand as she led me up to our quarters.

**XXXXX.....XXXXX**

I was sitting on a stone wall, feet dangling over the nothingness below. The stone was cold under me, but it felt refreshing. A nice change from the suffocating heat inside.

The Queen's question. It was... sort of intimidating... And... I didn't really enjoy giving the answer. Brought back too many sad memories.

I sighed.

"I'm happy now. Nothing to regret, I'm happy here, surrounded by friends and family. I'm completely happy." I whispered up into the sky, looking at the shining full moon.

Though one part of me slightly disagreed. Yes, here, I was happier than I'd never been before, but I remember back then...

If I dug through my memories tainted with red, I could find one completely untouched... Or almost. It was... actually one of the other reasons I'd always put the knife down.

"I miss you, Elyria." I whispered up, feeling twin tears run off my cheeks.

I remembered, how every time I was left on the cold ground, shivering all alone, suffering inside out, she'd come and stay by my side for a while. I remembered when work was too harsh, she always found an alibi to get me a break. I remembered how she always found a way to protect me from additional abuse. How she made me smile. How she comforted me. How she promised she'd set me free one day.

I caused her death.

"It was all my fault..." I sobbed out, not bothering to wipe the tears that ran off my cheeks.

Elyria was the daughter of the Hanyo king. Princess of the Hanyos. It was her sister who was killed by the Hanyo general's assassin, thus starting the Sheikah genocide.

I remembered how the first week I was taken there, she came and kept me company. She told me she didn't believe in slavery, and wanted everyone in the world to be free. She was just a couple of years older than me, and always found a way to help me through hard times. Whether it was her smile, or her laugh, or the way she defended me, she always made me feel warm inside. Even though already engaged (according to Hanyo tradition saying that young girls should be engaged at the age of sixteen), she spent more time with me than with her fiancée.

Elyria had short black hair and caring hazel eyes. I don't remember much from her. I was forced to forget everything at some point. But I'll never forget how kind she was, and how caring. She didn't believe that violence solved everything and unsuccessfully tried convincing her father, my self-imposed master, to go easier on me. It worked at some extent, and I'm forever indebted to her. Without her, I'd probably have experienced twice as much pain as I have already felt until now.

It's so sad that she died. In such a dishonourable way as well. I already said that she wanted my freedom and promised to help me achieve it when she grew older. And she tried. And died trying.

I bit my lip and turned my eyes away from the moon. It really was my fault she died.

On my eighteenth birthday, she told me she'd made a plan to break me out. It sounded so perfectly planned, and after four years of deprived freedom, I didn't think of the consequences and immediately agreed.

She was just supposed to unlock my Sheikah abilities and show me the way that was the least guarded until Hyrule Field, where I could go on my own.

It failed. Unlocking a Sheikah's magic isn't simple. Locking it is: the gentle way is a magic spell. The harsh way is making a Sheikah drink his own blood: the larger the quantity, the longer the lockdown.

To reverse the lockdown, it was either cast another spell or make the Sheikah drink a special neutralizing potion that purified the blood of noxious elements.

Elyria opted for the second option and snuck in to steal a bottle of that potion that neutralized whatever condition a person had. She stole it and came to my cell to give it to me when a couple of Hanyo guards caught her. We tried to fight their accusations but...

Elyria was sentenced to death for high treason. I was given fifty lashes and three months in isolation. Before they did lock me away, I saw them mercilessly behead her right in front of my eyes. I didn't even have time to say thank you before she smiled one last time and the floor became decorated with her blood.

I can't ever forget that horrifying scene. It is forever engraved in my mind. Last month was actually the ninth anniversary of her death. Which makes it even more painful for me to bear.

"I miss you, Elyria..." I whispered into the wind.

"Jee, will you stop saying that, you sound like you saw me get killed in front of your eyes or something."

I smiled, but didn't turn back.

"Won't you sit down next to me?" I whispered.

"I can't sit, you know that by now."

"I'm sorry. I forget easily." I chuckled.

"How rude. Forgetting the person who kept you moving on during the worst part of your life." A ghostly voice suddenly whispered in my ear.

"Stop doing that, it's creepy." I finally turned and looked at who was talking.

It was actually a twenty-nine year old girl. With short black hair. And caring brown eyes. Wearing a bloodstained white tunic and baggy white pants. The only thing that made a difference between the real one and her was that she was always transparent. I could actually see through her.

"I missed you too, Oni." Elyria's ghost chuckled, looking down at me.

"You've changed a lot since the last time I saw you." I smiled, remembering four years ago, when she looked slightly younger and more childish, despite her ghostly age of 25. I was still under Hanyo control when she first visited me. Gave me the fright of my life.

"It's only been five years." She giggled sarcastically.

"Nonetheless. Five years too much." I shrugged. "So why are you here one month after your ninth death anniversary?" I inquired.

"I had some business in the Sacred Realm. Was also looking for a time to meet you during the last month, so I only found today." She approached a bit more, making shivers run over my skin.

"Me and my friends were already talking about my past life just about now." I neutrally informed her.

"I know. That's partly why I chose today to meet you." She shrugged.

"Well, you okay now? Happy up in the Sacred Realm?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. Happier than I'll ever be." She smiled.

"That was rude." I stuck a tongue out at her.

"Let me finish. Happier than I'll ever be as a dead person. The happiest time I've had in my living was the time I spent with you." She laughed.

"Blah, I still feel guilty. It's like saying I killed you. It's my fault you're dead." I sighed.

"No way, don't fret about it. I had nothing much to live for anyway. Live as a spoiled kid, marry a guy I've never seen, make lots of kids, then die. How fun." She rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Sorry anyway." I smiled sadly.

"It's alright. I gotta go now. You know the rules..."

"Not more than ten minutes every few years." We finished together, then started laughing.

"It was really nice of your Hanyo Goddess to let you visit me." I added. "Tell her I worship her along with Din, Farore and Nayru." I laughed.

"I will..." she giggled sweetly.

There was a brief silence between us, then I cleared my throat.

"I... Elyria, I've never had the chance to say something when you were still living..." I sighed out, bracing myself.

"What, thanks for caring so much about you?" she cocked her head to the side. "I've realized that by now."

"Yes, and something else." I got up and looked at her, getting closer to her.

"No need to say it. The feeling is mutual." She smiled, then leaned in and laid a ghostly kiss on my lips.

Shivers ran across my skin as her supernatural form touched mine. My eyes widened slightly, and not just because of the contact. A million things ran through my mind, but one thought dominated: "If the feeling had been mututal all these years, I could have saved her life and lived happily with her!" I closed my eyes tightly and tried to enjoy the cool wave of nothingness that ran over me. It was always like this when she touched me. Meaning the living and the dead couldn't mix.

"I... I... Wow." I blinked slowly whens he let go, amazed.

"I know, huh?" she giggled, holding one of my hands in her own. More shivers ran across my skin, but I thoroughly enjoyed it this time. "I have to go now. Remember..."

"I love you." We both smiled together before she let go of my hand, floating back, then dissipating into fine dust.

"Seeya in a few years." I whispered with two tears running down my eyes before slowly falling to my knees.

I lost consciousness even before I hit the ground.

**XXXXX.....XXXXX**

I woke up two days later. Slowly blinking, the first thing that got into clear view was a pale blue ceiling. I immediately recognized it as the infirmary's ceiling, having been here a lot of times before.

Groaning, I blinked a few more times then slowly pushed myself up. I then looked across the room to the window. It looked like we were already in the afternoon, maybe around three o' clock.

Grunting in effort, I also turned around to the bed next to mine. I immediately spotted Sheik lying in it, eyelids half-drooped, breathing slowly, as if in a lethargic trance.

"Sheik…" I called softly. He didn't turn.

Muffling grunts of effort and pain when I moved my stiff muscles, I slowly slid off the bed and tested my legs. Still pretty weak, but it'd do.

I slowly headed to his side, while seeking support from the nearby objects and finally went over and sat down next to him.

That's when he slowly turned his head, looking at me with the same dull eyes as before.

"You okay?" I whispered, feeling my tongue all tied up.

"Feel better now that I woke up…" he weakly smirked and winced as he slowly pushed himself up in a sitting position.

"What day are we?" I asked, not expecting an answer, seeing as we both just woke up. Instead, I looked around for a calendar. None.

"Don't know…" he grunted as he tried getting off the bed. "Damn, my muscles are sore…" he sighed.

"Same here…" I slowly stretched.

"So… Castle infirmary… I wonder where we passed out this time…" Sheik smirked.

"Hmm… My guess would be… Castle Footsteps." I laughed sorely.

"Yep. Good times." Sheik joined my short laughter.

We stood silent for a moment, me looking around for a clock, Sheik looking out the window towards the orange horizon.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a maid slowly came in, facing downwards, pushing a cart with medicine and two platters of food on it.

"Oh, good afternoon!" I suddenly called just as she reached for a bottle of medicine and uncorked it.

She froze for a second, then slowly looked up, gaping. I smiled in a friendly way at her, then waved slightly.

"Good afternoon…" I repeated, wondering why she was so shocked.

The maid whispered something that sounded like gibberish to me, but suddenly stopped when her fingers let go of the medicine bottle. The plastic bottle crashed on the ground, spilling dark red medicine over the ivory floor. Turning around, the maid quickly dashed out in panic.

Sheik and I stood silent for a moment, then slowly turned to each other.

"What was that all about?" he blinked slowly.

"You're asking me. She looked like she'd seen a ghost…" I shrugged slowly.

We both stood silent again, me slowly sitting down on Sheik's bed again as my legs were still a bit sore.

And SLAM! The door violently slammed open, disturbing the silence of the infirmary. Sheik and I jerked simultaneously, immediately whipping our gazes towards the door.

I personally didn't have time to exclaim whatever obscenities I was gonna exclaim because something rough shoved into me and I fell back, spreading over Sheik's legs. He also gave a startled cry as something shoved into him as well, pushing him back down over his fluffy pillows. I muttered something about him being lucky for his legs weren't actually very comfortable…

And before I could exclaim whatever following obscenities I was going to exclaim, something rough hit me across the cheek. And… Yes, I knew it what it was.

"LINK!" a furious, yet relieved voice screamed in my ear.

"That's my name…" I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" the same voice answered. Instead of receiving a full fledged kick between my open legs, though, I received a full fledged kiss on my open lips.

I slowly closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. I don't why my love was angry at me, I didn't do anything wrong this time, for once, but I knew the moment was gonna end in three… two… one…

Zelda's lips came off of mine and a second slap resounded across the room.

A few moments passed, giving us both the chance to calm down, then, slowly rubbing my cheek, I pushed myself up in a sitting position, pushing her over my legs at the same time. I then threw her one cross look that made her smile in relief.

"So… Are you gonna tell me what I did wrong this time or will you keep beating me till I faint again?" I gave a half-hearted smirk, sarcastically throwing her a seductive glance.

"Shut up, you moron, I'm just glad you're alive." She giggled softly and her smile grew wider.

"Still doesn't explain why the first thing I felt when I woke up was a slap." I shrugged.

"Ah, that. Okay, let's see…" Zelda put her hand up to her chin and rubbed it in a pensive manner. "Well, two days ago, we found you two collapsed on the castle steps. And you seemed just exhausted, so Oni helped us take you to the infirmary. You were normal for the first few hours, then your breathing suddenly stopped, and your pulse slowed. That's when we got scared. And you stayed that way until now." She explained.

"So why'd we get beaten as soon as we recovered?" I raised a sceptical brow.

"That's for worrying us so much." She stuck a tongue out at us and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Here, I'll kiss the worry away." I made an effort to get up and picked her up. With the muscles I'd developed over the war-time, it was an easy task. I carried her to my bed then gently spread her over it, getting on myself and moving on top of her before slowly plucking a kiss on her lips.

"I missed you." She whispered before replying tenderly.

"Same here..." I breathed before she put her hands on my cheeks and dragged me closer over her. I replied with my infamous body language, snaking my arms around her back and lifting her closer to me. She moved her hands around my back and loosely held onto me as we moved into the warm embrace we'd gotten used to after these many years of marriage.

Once I let go to give her some time to catch up breath and calm my heartbeat, I aid her down softly and moved by her side, caressing her hair gently.

"So what I miss during this epically failed lethargic-Sheikah-style-recover-coma I was in?" I smirked sarcastically, loosening a tangle in her golden hair.

"Well, the war is officially over. Gotten a peace treaty signed with the Prince, and now King, of Labyrennu, Vincent the Second. The kids are safe under the reign of the rulers of Termina, and they're going to be escorted back here in a couple of days. Malon, Anju and the rest are also coming back to Hyrule now that the war's finished. Everything is finally over." She declared.

"Thank Farore... I thought this nightmare would never end..." I sighed out in relief. "I'm proud of you, Zelda." I laid a sweet kiss on her lips before smiling. "You took care of so many things by yourself, it's unbelievable."

"Not just in politics, on the battlefield too." She smirked.

"Yes, and you've been tougher than anyone I've ever met, much less a girl." I replied with the same smirk she gave me.

"That was a sexist comment." Tetra stopped frenching Sheik for a moment to comment before returning to whatever she was doing."

"Sorry." I smiled sheepishly in her direction, then turned back to Zelda. "And also, for being so autonomous during times of crisis... Using your infinite smarts to rebel, and... I'm sorry for whatever has happened to you... It was all my fault, and I should have been there to protect you, for the single time where you defences failed, but all I could do was witness the atrocities you've been put through, and-"

I was cut off with a silky finger against my lips. Zelda smiled sweetly, then removed her finger and kissed me softly. "No worries, love. I had my fair share of war, and you had much more than you should have. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I wish I could have helped earlier, but everything went overboard, and I was lost, until I finally got some help and inspiration to start planning again..." she sighed.

"It's alright. The important is that we made it out. Alive. Safe. Mostly unharmed." I smirked.

"You're right..." she gazed at me with her loving eyes, then suddenly pushed me off of her. Barely avoiding falling off of the small bed, I held the sides as Zelda got up and jumped off, imitated by Tetra. I swear, those two are such accomplices. "Now, you two. Enough cuddling and comforting us, remember the people you vowed to serve." She smiled.

"What did you do this time?" I groaned.

"Just massed the population under the balcony when I heard you were awake so you could give them a speech. As a new beginning. And because they call you their "Heroes" and demand to see you as soon as possible." She giggled.

"This is cliché." Sheik rolled his eyes.

"Cliché, but it lifts the people's mood. You've seen the broken castle town. It's ravaged by war. A word of comfort or two wouldn't hurt." Tetra noted.

"You're right. Let's go. The balcony?" I asked, going over and holding Zelda's hand.

"Yep, let's go." She nodded and dragged me to the door.

"... Zelda?"

"Yes love?"

"Which balcony?"

---

As I stepped out, a wave of whispers, followed by cheers and applauses rose from under the balcony. I slowly went over to the side and leaned on the rails for support just as I peered down. Even though broken and scarred by war, my people still stood strong, looking up at me confidently, recognizing us as their leaders, who will always be there to set things straight.

I felt all fuzzy inside when I realized that these people were hoping for an angel to get them out of this misery. And Sheik and I turned out to be those saviours. I guess they had the right to call us Heroes, even if the Hylian army was the real hero here.

"Tell them something, Link." Zelda urged me.

I blushed and looked down to my people. Shining eyes, tears of joy, smiles, grins, joined hands… I smiled back at them, happy that this was finally over. No more pain, no more fears. No more hate, no more tears.

"People of Hyrule, today is the beginning of a new period. Let us leave the past behind, and move onto the future. But remember, no matter what happens…" I stopped there, looking over at the horizon.

I could see a lot of broken buildings, destroyed homes, and a lot of people died. I sighed grimly at that, but looked back down at the people who were looking up at me enthusiastically. They. Didn't. Give. In. And nothing could stop us from rising once again.

"Remember that we are an eternal population. No matter what happens. No matter what befalls us. We won't accept the fact that fate is against us. We won't take any more oppression. Save your tears, for the day when your pain is far behind. On your feet, come with me, we, Hylians, are soldiers, defenders of our country, stand or die. And, save your fears, take your place, save them for the judgement day." I smiled at them, and turned to Sheik.

He smirked, probably at the cliché-ness of my lines, but I didn't care. I've never been good at speeches, much less improvised ones, so here goes everything!

"Fast and free, follow me, time to make the sacrifice. We shall rise or fall." I announced solemnly, putting my fist up in the air. Then, I stepped back, and took Zelda's hand in my own. The crowd started cheering against, with whistles and applause accompanying every cheer.

Dragging Sheik and Tetra behind her, we all stood open to the crowd, surveying over them. Zelda squeezed my hand a bit, and I turned to look down at her. That beautiful face, the one that had been so innocent just two years ago, had now changed. It was fiercer, more scarred, having seen many things one should never see. Yet she stood strong. Out of all the people everywhere, my darling, my wife, my Queen, stood strong and refused oppression from the enemy. I smiled proudly again and kissed her lightly before turning back to the cheering crowd.

A wave of my hand silenced the people who were cheering my title and name. I smiled at the crowd and nodded to tell them that I'd always be there, ready to sacrifice my life for theirs.

Advancing a bit with Zelda by my side, I lost myself for a moment in the sheer happiness of the moment. Everything was over. No more worrying, no more pain, no more anxiousness. That was good. It was the end of an era, and the start of a new one. I felt Zelda's grip tighten on my hand and realized she must have been thinking the same thing. With gentle smiles, we both looked down at our people.

"For a better future, we shall rise. For a new generation, we shall rise." I looked at the sunset once more and drew in a deep breath. "Out of the ashes of the past, we Rise."

***************

**Author's Note:**

**You probably know what I'm gonna say next... Yeah. "MY LAST PHRASE TOTALLY KICKS ASS! WOOOOO!!!" Seriously, wow =O Amazed with my last phrase =3 Possibly the best ending I've ever written =3**

**And that was my introduction to my newest poll =3 It's not on my profile, by the way xD Feel too lazy to make a real poll =P Anyway, which story of mine do you think has the best ENDING? Vote by reviewing, any one of my stories is eligible for the "Best Endings Award" =P**

**Yeeeey, so Oni DOES have a girlfriend... =3 Sorta... a half-girlfriend... or a past girlfriend... or a ghost girlfriend... In any case, he needs to move on. If I write an epilogue, which I certainly will, and which will be posted in 3 decades (just kidding =P), I will get him a new girlfriend =) Which sucks cuz the name Elyria is already taken =O**

**... I cheated and won Pokemanzz Diamond =3 If anyone knows when the events to get Arceus, Shaymin and Darkrai are, I'd love to hear from you... I can't find an exact date on the internet D=**

**Lol, back tot he story. So... this is the end... I hope you guys liked it... I did, and I enjoyed writing it a lot... Sure, this story went through some hard times (vacation, writer's block, writer's short-attention-span) but it got through in the end, didn't it? =3 I did it again xD Survived through another story xD My worst nightmare is that I'll die asphyxiated in a subway during rush hour (when the Montreal subways are jam packed with more people you could imagine fitting in a wagon) and I'll never get to submit my stories before dying =O I always tell myself I need to write a last will with things I want the people who read it to do for me (including announcing my death on the interwebz and posting the chapters already written xD) and save it on my desktop xD But I don't do it =3 Even if I almost got ran over by a car the other day (I'm serious O_o)**

**Woops, I'll stop talking now. Hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I did! It didn't get as many hits and visitors as its prequel, but it did pass my 100 reviews goal =D Thank you all for participating in the completion of this goal =D I really appreciate it.**

**As a reward for being my lovely and awesome readers, I'll tell you: a secret oneshot is coming up very soon, and two stories are under way. You can find the two stories on my profile, and a slight hint on my oneshot =)**

**So like my customs oblige me to, I now jump in for a BIIIIIG HUG and a BIIIIIG REVIEW =D I GIVES YOU ALL FREE COOKIES AND A HUG! =D**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! MERCI D'AVOIR LU! ARIGATO GOZAIMASU YONDE IMASU (I am SURE I said that wrong in every possible imaginable way)! SHNORHAGALOUTYIOUN GARTALOUT HAMAR! GRACIAS POR LEER! (if you have more languages to say "Thank you for reading" in, I'd love to hear them =3)**

**PLEASE REVIEW TO MARK THE END OF "RISE"!**

**_Rope? Lamp oil? Bombs? They're yours, my friend, as long as you have enough rupees._**

**Whoever can tell me where the two italic phrases come from, they get an extra cookie =3**

**~LoZ4Life**


End file.
